High Noon
by just-another-smalltown-girl
Summary: Set immediately after Breaking Dawn and eventually six years later, this story follows the Cullens' lives after the confrontation with the Volturi, from the first time Renesmee falls ill to when she has to make the climatic decision about her love life: faithful Jacob or the half-vampire Nahuel?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, here's the extremely long chapter one! I don't know if I could quite summarize it right in the description, but this story will cover a little bit of the immediate post-Breaking Dawn world, and then move on to six years in the future. Just a warning, I started this story years ago (when I was 11), and I've been slowly reworking it and making some major plot changes, so if some bits are confusing... that's why. **

**There are also going to be some POV changes, though not in this chapter. Enjoy! Review!**

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The morning after our confrontation with the Volturi, I could barely release my grip on Edward to get a hold on reality. My new vampire mind—usually so spacious and quick—seemed now to be worse than a human's. I could only think of and understand the meaning of three words: _We are safe._

Edward seemed to notice my distracted mood. He watched me carefully as I sniffed out a pair of artificially worn jeans and a long sleeved T-shirt I hoped Alice would find acceptable. Finally, he couldn't bear it any longer and asked me, "What's wrong, love? You seem distracted. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Edward. I just… I can't believe we won. Renesmee is going to live to see another day!" I replied with a smile, deciding to tell him the truth. He'd noticed my mood; it was no good lying to him now.

Edward sighed as he pulled on a pair of khaki shorts and burgundy pullover, although he was smiling softly. "I must say I feel the same way."

We dressed silently. I moved slower than I'd ever moved before as a vampire, listening to the sounds of our perfect little cottage. I could hear the faint popping of the dying fire downstairs in the fireplace and the sound of even, soft breathing and an almost wildly thrumming heart that belonged to my perfect daughter. Renesmee.

"Nessie should be up soon," Edward noted quietly as he slipped on a pair of shoes. "Her dreams have ceased."

I looked up at him, and suddenly I was choked up with emotion. It wasn't—surprisingly—the desire that I usually experienced. It was a sort of realization that no matter what, he was mine. I blew to his side and with a force that made him stumble backward, hugged him hard.

"Bella!" he said, a little surprised. But his marble arms cradled me all the same.

"I love you, Edward," I murmured, burying myself in the soft fabric of his shirt.

"As I love you," he replied, bemused, kissing the top of my head. Now, of course, the desire rippled through me.

"I'm going to wake Nessie," I told him, pulling away grudgingly. "Jacob's bound to be anxious to see her and Emmett's going to get a kick out of how late we are."

Edward chuckled, putting his hands around my waist as he followed me to our daughter's room.

Only a wrought-iron crib stood, lonely, in the room Renesmee called hers. We hadn't had time to decorate, as we'd been all wrapped up in the possibility of annihilation. Though now that the threat had passed, Alice and Esme were sure to be all over decorating Nessie's room.

Curled up under two fuzzy blankets, my daughter lay asleep. Her bronze ringlets were splayed carelessly across her perfect face and her full, pink lips were open very slightly in a squished O. Her breathing was already speeding up very slightly, and her eyes moved in uneven intervals under her pale violet eyelids. She was perfect, as usual.

I leaned down, lifted her from her small sanctuary of sleep. Renesmee breathed in deeply and her eyes fluttered open just the tiniest bit. "Momma?" she whispered, and when the fact that I was holding her registered, she surprised me by suddenly stiffening and opening her eyes wide. In the next moment, she was sitting up in my arms, her arms locked around my neck in a terrified embrace. "Momma, are they gone? Is everyone okay?" She looked confused and frightened.

I was alarmed for an eighty-fifth of a second, but recovered enough to say, "Oh, Renesmee, yes, they're gone. They won't be back, I promise." She must be in shock, too.

Edward exchanged looks with me. It was obvious on his face that he was reading her mind to try to figure out any other questions that might be bothering her. "And Ness—," he added, "Jacob is just fine, too."

If she had been comforted at my words, she was relieved at his. My daughter's whole face relaxed as she reached up and gently touched my cheek. She showed me a picture of the entire group of vampires we'd assembled, our hands twined, a team working against a common enemy.

I hugged her tightly against my chest and wished that the moment would continue forever. Edward's arms soon locked around us, pulling our family together.

Renesmee looked up at me meaningfully, her large, chocolate brown eyes boring into my own dull scarlet ones. Her hand, still on my cheek, transmitted a picture of us sprinting to the main house, to Rose, Emmett, Alice, Jasper, Carlisle, Esme, and especially Jacob, all of whom were at the windows, smiling.

I chuckled and blew over to her dresser to pick out clothes, knowing Alice would be disappointed I'd done it. Renesmee showed me the image again, although it was sharper and more defined, not to mention laced with anticipation.

"Let's go," I said, smiling.

"What are you wearing?" Alice demanded, flitting down the stairs. She had her dark gold eyes fixed on me. "I _still_ need to show you how to use your closet. We'll do that when we fix up Nessie's room, right?"

"Right…" I half-heartedly agreed. Alice would take no other answer, undoubtedly.

My sister-in-law pulled out a small, pink dress. "Where is the little angel, anyway?"

Edward's lips twitched, fighting a smile. "We've already taken that load off your shoulders, Alice, dear."

The look of horror that crossed Alice's face was more than apparent as she crossed her arms.

"They didn't do such a bad job, actually," Rosalie complimented, coming into the room with Renesmee in hand. My daughter was greedily sucking down a cup of blood. My throat burned uncomfortably, although it was easy to handle.

Flipping her blonde hair out of the way, Rose smiled adoringly at Renesmee.

Edward chuckled. "Get used to it, Alice. We _are_ her parents, after all. And pretty soon, Nessie will be making her own clothing decisions."

"I know," Alice replied, sighing as if the idea of Renesmee's clothing independence was bothersome. Her eyes glazed over and she frowned. "Well, I can't _see_ anymore, so I'm assuming Jacob's coming over."

Renesmee smiled in Rose's arms, dimpling. She, at least, was happy. _I_ felt annoyed because Jacob hadn't _not_ come since the day of my daughter's birth, yet happy because he was my friend and I was used to his coming over every day, even if it was mostly to see Renesmee. It was an awkward balance.

Jasper, half-lurking near Alice, looked up at me. Our eyes met and I smiled wryly. He knew how I felt. He knew how _everyone _felt.

When Renesmee was done with her breakfast, I took her from Rosalie and she sat in my arms, excitedly waiting for Jacob. Alice did a quick assessment of her clothing—a simple ivory tunic and leggings—and grudgingly allowed it to be worn as long as she got to do her hair. She then brushed my daughter's hair until it gleamed and wove a braid across the crown of her head.

When Alice was done, Renesmee beamed at her and placed a hand on her cheek.

"You look beautiful," Edward told her immediately in answer to her question. She smiled at him. "And Jacob should be here any minute, don't you worry."

Once again, my daughter smiled. Jacob was _hers_, in Nessie's mind, and Jacob thought that she was the most wonderful thing in the world, the thing that tied him to reality. Thinking too much on the subject made me wrinkle my nose, though I knew without a doubt that Jacob was only concerned about Nessie's happiness—until she grew older, which would be a different story.

For now, though, she was just my perfect little daughter, the one that I would do anything for. Jacob knew that the imprinting thing had left me speechless with anger. I remembered vividly how I'd felt: Betrayed. Sick. Hurt. Jealous. I had felt anger that I never thought I'd feel toward him… toward anyone.

But I always kept my happy face on for Renesmee's sake and danced around the room with her, making her giggle. "More!" she laughed, her high soprano like music to my ears. I could just imagine Jake's face if he walked in on us right now.

Alice joined in, popping a CD into the stereo and twirling around the room with complicated moves. Soon, Rosalie was dancing, too, matching Alice's pace. Emmett was in the background, betting with Jasper about something random while he watched a Texas Longhorns game at the same time. Dancing was obviously below them. Edward leaned against the glass wall and smiled widely.

I twirled my daughter all the way up the stairs and tickled her until the rose coloring on her cheeks was absolutely scarlet.

"Do you like dancing?" Rosalie asked her, smiling broadly at both Renesmee and me. I knew that she considered Renesmee more than just a niece. Rosalie had never really been satisfied with the fact that she could never have a baby that she could call her very own, and cared for Renesmee like she was her daughter. However, Rose would probably never know the true bond of mother and child.

Renesmee beamed, dimpling again, and touched Rose's cheek. Rose laughed at whatever she was showing her.

Alice smiled at all of us but soon drifted off into her room, Jasper automatically trailing after her. I could tell she was still taking reality in like the rest of us—she was simply glad for us to be alive.

Rosalie held out her arms and I surrendered Renesmee to her.

"Mm. At least I get to hold you until the mangy dog gets here."

I snorted. Renesmee sighed and touched Rose's cheek.

"I'm sorry_,_ Nessie, but haven't I told you?" Rosalie responded, smiling dryly. "I _hate_ Jacob Black."

"Jake's here," Edward called from downstairs. "And he's looking forward to seeing Ness."

Rosalie sighed and kissed Nessie's forehead. She knew her time was almost up.

Downstairs, I could hear the door fling open.

"Hey, bloodsuckers!" Jacob's husky voice felt good to hear after a while with my smooth-talking family. "Where's Nessie?" It was an automatic inquiry for him: almost instinctive, and because she wasn't in sight, it was laced with worrisome anxiety.

Renesmee leaned toward the stairs in Rose's arms. "Jacob," she called. I heard him shift his weight and walk a few steps in one direction.

"Upstairs," Edward conceded effortlessly. I could almost feel Jacob's need to be up here, to see Renesmee, so I sighed and came down the stairs with Rosalie, my ever-impatient daughter reaching out toward Jacob.

The visible relief on Jacob's face would have made me extremely irritated one or two months ago. Now, I simply stood by and watched as she was passed off to my friend.

"Hey, Bells," he greeted me, never taking his eyes off Renesmee.

"How are things in La Push today?" I asked as my daughter settled into Jake's arms.

Renesmee cuddled against his hot chest and put her hand to his cheek, but this didn't faze Jake. He snorted. "Seth is going on and on about how we beat that many vampires. I think the kid is on steroids or something, the way he's thinking… Even Leah's secretly pleased. I caught her thinking about it and she got pissed off, but she's happy it's all over."

"Jacob?" Esme said as she came into the room, smiling. Her pale face dimpled, just as Renesmee's did. "I've made some cinnamon rolls and a batch of pancakes. You can take those if you like."

"Sure. Thanks!" Jacob's stomach growled loudly.

Edward chuckled at whatever Jacob had thought.

I watched my family happily going on with life, and I couldn't suppress my grin. Everything was perfect. This was how life was supposed to be. Happy. Careless. Loving. The multi-colored blanket that was our life had lost the dull, gray, worried threads underneath, and now it was equally bright and cheerful. Because the 'worry strands' had disappeared, one single strand of this blanket of my life shone brightly: my daughter's. I guessed that it would look like a warm bronze, but that it was the only one that glinted when my blanket was thrown out into the sunlight. Renesmee shone. She was the thread that bound us together. Without her, there probably wouldn't be a comradeship between Rosalie and me, and Jacob would be our mortal enemy. Without her… I would not be whole.

Nessie patted Jake's cheek again, demanding his full attention, which he promptly gave her. Edward smiled imperceptibly.

"She's such a little attention grabber," Rosalie said, but the soft insult was lost in the enormity of her affection.

Jasper came down the stairs then, and went into the kitchen with Carlisle. I could hear him saying, "Alice and I are going on a hunting trip. Do you need us for anything here?"

"No," the doctor murmured. I heard his footsteps change direction. "Could Esme and I join you? Not to intrude, but…"

"Of course," Jasper agreed. As he left the kitchen, Emmett grinned from the couch.

"Hungry for some mountain lion, bro?"

"I'm completely starved," Jasper replied, his black eyes glinting hungrily. Jacob immediately took a step away, looking more than a little nervous.

"Oh, Jacob, calm yourself." Jacob did not relax.

Emmett sighed. "Too bad I went last week. I'd have come with you today…" He glanced over and I unconsciously confirmed his last words, as his eyes were a dull gold.

Rosalie darted over to the couch and was in his lap in under a quarter of a second. "Who's winning?" she asked in her bell-voice.

"Texas."

Alice's light footsteps coming down the stairs distracted me, and I turned to see her in her messy clothes, ready to hunt. Jasper turned as well and smiled—she returned the gesture.

"Are you ready, Jazz?" she asked.

"I asked Carlisle and Esme if they would come, too." He glanced questioningly at the two, and they nodded. Without further delay, the whole group turned and sprinted out.

Jacob let out an audible sigh, and Renesmee again put her hand to his cheek. "I'm glad he's gone," he answered to her silent question. "No, I don't dislike him. Hey now, Nessie!" He grinned.

Edward settled himself at the piano and began playing a song I'd never heard before; probably he had just made it up on the spot. It had a beautiful melody and drastic dynamics and it seemed to flow evenly with the air I was breathing. It fit naturally.

I walked over to the big window and stood there. Jacob sat down behind the stairs and began to play with Renesmee. Edward's composition changed from a song to a piano symphony of sorts. Rosalie and Emmett cuddled on the couch, absently watching the football game.

I needed time with my thoughts. Now was perfect. I watched my daughter intently. If my heart were not dead, it would be throbbing with love for her. The relief that she could never die pounded inside my head, permanently sticking there. Nahuel's story had erased all worry, all confusion. I loved him for that.

Renesmee playfully pulled Jacob's shaggy hair, making him yelp in fake surprise and pain. She giggled her high soprano giggle and grinned up at him, her rosy cheeks flushing—just like the old me.

I smiled at her. She looked up at me and winked.

After about half an hour, I settled on the couch next to Rosalie and Emmett. They looked more preoccupied with themselves than the game, which was now tied. I watched absently as the human football players struggled to get a goal. I raised my eyebrows and smiled slightly. The undeniable truth was that I could take on a whole professional football team—perhaps two or even more—and quite easily win.

Then, in the middle of a particularly pretty part, Edward's piano playing stopped abruptly. I was on my feet immediately; my senses doubled with alert, and watched him dart over to Renesmee's side.

Jacob looked alarmed. "What's wrong? Edward, don't mess with me, please!"

I was at my husband and daughter's side instantly, and Edward automatically surrendered her to me. "She feels ill," Edward murmured.

Nessie's cheeks were pale and she looked confused. Her carefree expression had been replaced by the dull look of sickness. I was shocked it had come on so quickly, with no warning. "Renesmee? How do you feel?"

It surprised me when she chose to speak, rather than use her usual means of communication. "I feel nauseous. And I feel cold… very cold." Her soprano voice was thick and tight. This was not the happy daughter I knew.

Jacob started hyperventilating, stepping close to us to warm her. "Crap! Bella, someone, call Carlisle. We've got to get him back here!" When no one reached for their phone, Jacob pulled out his cell phone and almost started dialing.

"Jacob," Edward interrupted firmly, a crease between his brows. "Renesmee is going to be perfectly fine. I am fully capable of taking care of her until Carlisle is done hunting. I do have two degrees in medicine, do I not?"

Jacob put down the phone, and there was no mistaking the panic in his eyes. It was a packaged deal, this imprinting. I got to have my best friend with me, but he was also a total nut when it came to my daughter's safety and health.

"Jacob, did I not safely deliver Renesmee while Carlisle was gone? That situation was a matter of life and death. This is nothing compared to that," Edward said smoothly, yet there was a certain look in his eyes, a certain worry I couldn't place…

I wasn't convinced, either. "Do you want some blankets?" I asked.

Renesmee nodded pitifully and had only begun to shiver when suddenly Rose had a thick blanket across her shoulders. I hadn't realized she'd gotten up, but of course my sister-in-law would be all over Nessie.

Renesmee curled up in my arms, her head resting in the crook of my right elbow, and her eyes fluttered. "Momma, am I going to die?"

The room was dead silent for a full second. It felt like years to me. Then four voices shouted out at once:

"Nessie, of course not!"

"Don't be ridiculous!"

"No!"

"Renesmee, you are _not_ going to die."

She shakily put her hand to my neck, showing me a picture of all of our faces, worried. She especially showed Jacob's face, because he looked like we'd all gone into cardiac arrest.

"We're just concerned. This is your first time being sick, correct?" Edward asked.

"Yes," she confirmed.

"That's right. Since you haven't been sick before, we want to know all of the details. We have no idea how you are feeling right now. We're just worried, that's all. We love you so much," Edward said soothingly.

I handed her off to him and took a deep breath. "I think it's a good idea if I try to contact Nahuel. Maybe he has some advice." With that, I zoomed to the computer and logged into my email account to search for his name. There was only one match, and I prayed it was Nahuel.

_Dear Nahuel:_

_ This is Bella Cullen, Renesmee's mother. I'm contacting you because she's sick. It came on suddenly, and she says she feels nauseated and cold. I wonder if she caught something with all the vampires here these past few days. Is it normal for half bloods to get sick like humans and recover? Or is this something we should be worried about? Please email back as quickly as you can. Thank you so much. –Bella_

I was surprised when I got a response within five minutes.

_Bella:_

_ Yes, it is what you would call "normal" for half bloods to get ill. Being half human, we are susceptible to sickness, but the vampire blood also means that getting sick only happens once in a blue moon. Your symptoms sound like a case of the flu. Don't worry—I have come down with much worse. Just feed her some blood—the best antidote—and make sure she's warm and comfortable. You're welcome._

_—N._

I sighed, very much relieved and yet not so at all, and went back to the living room. Edward, Renesmee, and Jacob were all gone. Rosalie glanced up. "They went to the cottage to put her to bed." She was stiff with anxiety.

"Thanks," I breathed, and flew out of the house, making what I believe was a spectacular jump across the river before flying between snow-covered trees to our front door.

Jacob was pacing, in wolf form, back and forth in front of the cottage, creating a snow-free line. I assumed Edward had not let Jake in because I knew my friend would be in there if he had the chance. His hackles were raised in worry. He was stressed; even without Jasper's power I could tell that much.

"It's only a case of the flu, Jake. Haven't you ever been sick before?" I tried to keep my tone lighthearted but it came out as a strangled mess.

He grunted, not giving me a specific answer, so I left him and went inside, darting to my daughter's room at once.

Renesmee's ivory skin was paler than usual, and the rosy blush on her cheeks was now a flaming scarlet. She lay, in a burrito of blankets, in her wrought-iron crib.

Edward glanced over at me with a fatherly worry in his golden eyes and I told him what Nahuel had suggested.

"Even so, I'm going to call Carlisle to warn him." And he whipped out his cell phone and had dialed before half a second had even passed.

I could hear it ringing. "Hello? Carlisle? I'm so sorry to interrupt, but Renesmee's come down with the flu. No, it's nothing serious according to Nahuel—Bella spoke to him. He said to give her blood and to keep her comfortable; pretty much what you would do with a normal human…" He paused as Carlisle spoke quietly into the phone. "I can handle this, yes. You and Esme, Alice and Jasper take as long as you like." He said this to be polite, but I could tell by the look on his face that he, in fact, _did_ want them to hurry. "Thank you."

He looked at me. "What do you think it is? Could it just be stress?"

I strode over to his side and hugged him tightly. "She's just got the flu," I repeated, more for myself than for him. "You and I are worried because she's our daughter, and Jacob…"

"Let's not worry about him right now," he muttered. "I'm going to get some blood for her. Will you stay—?"

"Of course," I replied immediately, darting to the crib. My daughter's wide brown eyes were half closed and had a glazed look. Edward sighed and blew out of the room. "How are you feeling, Ness?" My voice had withered to a whisper.

She lifted a hand—hotter than usual with her fever—and I leaned down so it touched my neck. She showed me a raging fire and a thermometer that read well over two hundred degrees. With that came a huge surge of nausea.

"Oh, Nessie. I'm sorry…" I said, patting her cheek. She immediately sighed. Her little hand, still planted firmly on my neck, projected an ice cube against a fire, and a feeling of deep refreshment washed over the image.

I put my hand back on her cheek and she grabbed it, holding it there and sighing deeply. Renesmee was just falling asleep when Edward was suddenly at the doorway with a bottle of blood.

"Our skin feels good to her," I murmured.

"Mm. She's very grateful for it."

Of course Edward would be on top of whatever she was thinking.

He knelt over Renesmee's crib and her eyes opened at the smell of blood. Edward smiled my favorite smile and laughed. "Of course, Ness." He handed her the bottle and she sucked greedily on it.

It took a minute, but the color began to return to her ivory skin, and the scarlet flames on her cheeks gently receded to her normal rosy glow. She smiled, and her milk-white teeth gleamed.

It was exactly what had happened to me when _I_ had tried blood during my pregnancy. Blood strengthened her.

Her hand shot up with renewed energy and touched my arm. I laughed when I saw her thoughts. She felt as strong as Emmett.

Edward chuckled quietly. "So… do you feel better? Ah. Just cry out anytime you need us… you need your sleep right now." He glanced over at me and mouthed, _She'll be okay_, before leaning down and kissing her lightly on the forehead. She let go of me and wrapped her arms around his messy bronze hair—a perfect match to her own. The braid Alice had twined in her hair fell loose and began to become unraveled, but Edward snatched it up and quickly retied it.

In better spirits, I exited Renesmee's room. Looking out the window, I could see Jacob shaking violently, his bushy tail sticking straight out and his ears flattened against his skull.

"Jake!" I called, shutting the door behind me and darting to his side. His wide eyes bored into mine and he whined softly. "It's all right! Sh." I calmed him—or at least tried to—by gently stroking his thick russet fur. "Blood is the antidote… we gave her some and she feels so much better. She just needs to rest. You should see her now."

His sigh of relief was more than audible, and he quickly phased back into a regular, buff guy with torn up shorts. "Is she in her room?" he asked, pushing past me with urgency and not waiting for an answer.

I couldn't restrain a bell-like giggle. "Whoa, there," I called after him as he went into our cottage. I followed him, ready to defend my friend if Edward questioned him.

"_Wolf,_" Edward said, drawing out the word. As I once again came into Renesmee's room, I saw the last millisecond of Edward's sigh. "I thought I told you that you shouldn't come in."

Jacob glanced pointedly at him and Edward looked at me. "Alright." He wasn't as angry and irritated at Jacob as he used to be. They shared a common goal: Keep Renesmee safe. And they both loved her.

Renesmee's cheeks flushed again when she saw Jacob and she let out a little giggle. "Jake! Jacob!" she called, drawing him instantly to her. He smiled broadly, showing all of his white teeth.

"You look miles better, Nessie. Is it the blood?"

She put her hand to his cheek and Jacob's eyes glazed over as he watched what she projected.

"I'm going back to the house, like I said before," I said, touching Edward's arm. "This will pass quickly, it seems, and I'm sure everyone will want to know about it."

"Bella…" he murmured, hugging me tightly. "I love you."

"You know I do as well," I replied, meaningfully, and danced out the door.

The two-second spring over the rushing river water cleared my head enough to put a reassured look on my face.

Rosalie was waiting for me in the middle of the yard. "Renesmee—?" she asked.

"Is doing fine," I assured her. "The blood rejuvenated her as it did me."

Rose smiled affectionately. "More vampire than human, huh?"

I returned the grin. "Definitely." And that was for the best, undoubtedly. I would never want to contaminate her perfection with any more of my mortal genes.

Emmett clicked off the TV with a huge grin on his face as Rosalie and I entered. "Texas won, babe," he said teasingly, elbowing Rose.

"Ugh," she grumbled, rolling her eyes. "Why is it never Boise State?"

"'Cause they _suck_." And Rosalie punched him so hard it sounded like a boulder snapping in half.

I chuckled, watching the two soul mates. I remembered, in one of my dim human memories, someone telling me that everyone expected Rosalie and _Edward_ to be together. That was, until Rosalie met Emmett, and fate took its course.

"Hey, Emmett," I said, reminiscing. "We never did do that rematch…"

"Rematch? What—oh yeah." He grinned. "I did say I wanted one, didn't I?" He patted Rosalie's arm. "Don't worry. _This _time, my baby sister's dead meat." And his biceps flexed, enforcing his words. "We'll have to find a new boulder, though. You probably learned I don't like to lose." He led Rose and me outside to another enormous rock—twice the size of its predecessor—and set his elbow down, winking at me. He was already confident that he would win.

"Like I said, I don't wear off that quickly," I told him again, although it _had _been months, setting my elbow in place. "Three, two, one… go!"

Our hands met with the force of a train going well over seventy miles per hour. Once again, I was thrilled with the feeling of the raw energy that flowed through me. It helped release some of the tension my daughter's sickness had forced upon me. I decided to play with him, putting on a mask of effort and letting him push my hand almost all the way down. Then I grinned, said, "Sorry," and flexed—hard. His hand flew back and nearly smashed against the boulder, but he caught me at the last second. We struggled for a fraction of a second before I finally triumphed. His fist pulverized the rock, and cracks spider webbed from the point of impact.

"You lose."

Rosalie smiled, putting on a sympathizing face for her furious lover. I heard laughing—but it wasn't ours. Carlisle, Esme, Alice and Jasper launched themselves in synchronization across the river. Alice's thin face was lit up with a wide grin, complimenting the eight-color rainbow that it produced.

Esme landed first with a soft thump, and then Carlisle. He darted over to me. "How's Nessie?" he asked while Alice and Jasper went over to talk to Emmett and Rosalie. Jasper was smirking smugly at Emmett, clearly enjoying his frustration.

"The blood clearly helps. It did the same thing to her that it did to me when I was pregnant," I informed him. "It's nothing to get worked up over… though I do still worry."

"Good. We'll keep her under observation." He smiled, and I blinked. It was like looking straight into the shining sun.

Esme squeezed my shoulder. "I was worried it was something serious," she breathed. "My only granddaughter…" I felt a brief moment of surprise, as no normal person would ever view Esme—_Esme—_as a grandmother.

Alice, who had been talking with a now golden-eyed Jasper, gave him a quick hug and turned to me, eyeing my clothing again. "So… Nessie's okay?"

"More or less, I suppose."

"Bella. I can't read people's minds, remember? I need _detail._ Answers. And I'm so pissed that I couldn't see this coming!"

"Last I checked, she felt like she was improving," I said, rolling my eyes. "It seems was just a brief bout of some human disease—or even nausea. The blood cured it quickly, whatever it was."

And then we heard the blood-curdling scream.


	2. Chapter 2

**Finally, it's here - chapter two! I have to admit, though, it's quite short, but I have more edited and done and they will follow soon! **

**Please, please, _please_ review! You have no idea how much it helps me as a writer; getting feedback lets me know you're actually reading this and provides essential advice as to how I can improve!**

**xoxo -**

* * *

As if we were tied together with one invisible string, my family moved in synchronization, all turning and running toward the direction of the sound—horrifyingly, the cottage—with panic etched in our perfect features. If panic was even the right word to describe what that sound did to me.

I overtook Esme and Rosalie in an instant, and then Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmett. Alice was moving at a speed she didn't usually exert and kept pace with my strong, newborn strides. We exchanged shocked and worried glances.

I was the first to the cottage—fear finally pulling me out front—and threw open the door. Edward was standing in the hallway, carrying a frighteningly red blanket. Jasper's arriving face turned white as snow. "Blood," he whispered, backing out. I took a quick breath, the air unsaturated with its scent.

"God, Edward! What happened?" Alice screeched, holding her head with her hands and squeezing her eyes shut.

I raced to Renesmee's bedroom, and stopped cold.

Jacob's back was to me, but as I moved around, I could see that his shirt was covered in blood. I held my breath. Trembling in his arms was my daughter, soaked in large amounts of it and gasping for breath.

I ripped her away from him and close to me, not caring about the blood smearing and ruining my shirt. "Renesmee, what happened?" I tried to sound calm and collected, but my voice broke and all of my panic gushed out with each syllable.

The scene she played before my eyes was disgustingly brilliant in detail.

She was sitting in Jacob's arms, smiling at him like he'd come from above, when her face contorted into a grimace and she paled. "Jake," her picture-self cried. Then she screamed; vomiting every ounce of blood in her stomach and getting it all over Jacob and the floor Esme and Alice had put in. It soaked through her dress and got in her hair. Edward had been at her side instantly, taking her from Jacob and mopping up the blood as fast as it came out, and Jacob was yelling, "Nessie! Nessie, no! Edward, she's choking! I can't—why is she—Oh, dammit, Nessie…"

The little show ended and Renesmee sniffled in my arms, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. She was still shaking badly; her small frame wracked with convulsions of shock. I could see it through her thoughts that she was terrified; she had no idea what was happening to her, why she felt so awful, and _how did all that blood come out of me?_

Edward came back in the room with Alice, Rosalie, Carlisle, and Esme in tow, carrying a bucket of chemical water and a rag. Jacob was rooted to the spot, still as death. He hadn't even protested when I'd taken Nessie from him, something very unusual. His eyes were frozen in perpetual panic.

Carlisle's face was pained as he inspected Renesmee. "It may be a more serious case of influenza than Nahuel could have predicted," he murmured, his fingers swiftly taking her pulse, her temperature. "But I can't get an exact estimate of what it is until we do some tests at the main house."

"I thought you were a doctor." The voice was rough and husky—Jacob had unfrozen.

Carlisle ignored him, but Rosalie hissed softly. Edward scrubbed away at the blood on the floor, a tense, unreadable mask. I'd expected him to react to Jacob, too.

Even though I knew that this was what normal humans went through when they got the flu, seeing it happen to my own daughter—who I had assumed invincible to petty human disease—was more than I could bear. Was this what my mother and father went through every time I got sick? Or was I just over-protective because of Renesmee's utter perfection?

I had no answer to my questions. In my arms, Renesmee swallowed convulsively, almost like she was going to throw up again, but I knew there was nothing left in her stomach to come out.

Jasper and Emmett, who had appeared at the door, exchanged glances and moved in to stand next to their respective mates. I could tell Jasper was putting forth a good deal of effort to be in the same room as so much blood; he looked strangled.

"Where did she catch it, I wonder?" Alice mused quietly, leaning into Jasper's waiting arms. He seemed to calm a bit as she did so. "We've been surrounded by healthy vampires."

"Maybe that's it," I suggested. "Carlisle, correct me if I'm wrong, but could vampires carry diseases on their clothes and stuff? They do hunt, and if their prey was even mildly infected…"

Edward stood, holding the bloody rag almost triumphantly over the now spotless floor. "You could have a point, love."

Jacob cleared his throat noisily. "Okay, that might be it, but shouldn't we focus on getting Nessie better, not how she got sick in the first place?" His voice traveled up the musical scale until it was an octave higher than usual.

"I think that what she needs is to cool down, which Bella is doing perfectly, mutt," Rosalie snapped. "You're certainly not doing anything about it, either, so stop yelling at us!"

"Rose," Esme chided softly. "I know you're worried, but let's be reasonable." She shot the golden-haired vampire a loaded look.

Emmett put his arm around Rose protectively, a silent declaration of whose side he was on.

A wolf-like growl rose up Jacob's throat. He wasn't usually this tense!

"Hey, hey, hey!" I cried, stepping in between the confrontation. "Jake, as much as I understand your situation… calm down a little, can you? Rosalie… he's… Jacob." I half-heartedly smiled and lightly elbowed Jacob in the chest. He winced. I _thought_ it had been lightly.

I glanced back at Jasper for help, but he was already focused on Jacob and Rosalie, working their moods into a steady calm. It must have helped, because Jacob sighed heavily and stepped back.

"I can't believe we're getting worked up about this. Renesmee needs a quiet and calm environment," Carlisle added, his eyes never leaving my daughter.

"Yeah, I suppose. Bella, can I—?" Jacob held out his arms. I pulled away.

"Like Rosalie said: Nessie needs to cool down. Sorry."

His patience was splintering, and I could see that. Irritation broke through his mask of forced calm. He was having a nervous breakdown all over again. "Jazz, could you help Jake out here again?"

Jasper's lips hardened into a thin line. "Jacob, honestly. Managing your emotions is a skill you need to master."

Renesmee yawned, her cheeks still pale. "Shh…" I crooned. To be sure she was finally asleep, I took her hand and pressed it gently to the crook of my neck. She was dreaming; again it was the flying, random colors and faces. Everyone's except Jacob's was calm and relaxed; his was clenched and worried.

I let her hand slide back to her chest and looked Edward in his topaz eyes. "Let's go back to the main house," I said. "Carlisle can have full access to whatever he needs to help her, and we won't all be crowded. She also needs to… clean up." I fingered a portion of her soaked dress, the scent of which was making my throat burn horribly.

"Good idea," Alice chirped. "I'll get a bath and a bed ready for her." She darted out of the house with Jasper at her heels. Rosalie came over to my side.

"She'll be better in the morning," she said, but it sounded like she was just reassuring herself. Her fingers twitched nervously, fluttering over my daughter like she wanted to do something, but couldn't bring herself to.

"Of course," I murmured, passing Nessie to Edward, where he cradled her and took my hand.

"Let's go. You should email Nahuel again."

And my family—once again breathless with worry—sped off into the teasingly brilliant morning.

* * *

Renesmee sighed as the warm bath water trickled down her cheek. As gently as possible, I scrubbed the rest of the blood from her still body. She was half-asleep in the warm soapy water, propped up in Alice's antique, ivory-inlaid bathtub. I tipped her head back to wet her bloody curls, and the water was tinged a deeper pink.

"Momma," she murmured quietly. "Are you sure I'm going to be okay?"

I froze and my eyes pricked in the oddest way. If I could have teared up, I would have. "Positive, Nessie. I'm absolutely certain. We're going to get you better if it's the last thing any of us ever do."

Her eyes still closed, she hummed a soft tune: the lullaby Edward had specially composed for her. I poured shampoo into her hair and massaged her scalp, washing blood out of each thick curl, and hummed along. She dutifully tipped her head back so I could rinse everything out once I was done, her soprano voice lowering to hit the last notes of the lullaby.

"Okay, love, we're finished." I traced a finger down her hot little cheek. She yawned deeply, exhausted. She hadn't had a chance to really sleep yet, the poor thing.

I lifted her into a towel and drained the tub. Renesmee buried herself into the towel's thick Egyptian-cotton folds and rested her head against my chest. She was asleep before we left the bathroom.

Edward met us in the hallway with a simple silk dress in hand for her to wear, Alice peeking out from behind his shoulder watchfully. She didn't follow us into Edward's room, though, but she had already done her part by bringing in a small trundle bed and fixing it up for our daughter. We dressed Renesmee and tucked her in.

For a long time, I simply lounged in Edward's arms and combed Nessie's drying curls. They gleamed brilliantly bronze in the late-afternoon sun. Edward played with my hair too, though every once and a while he would turn my head slightly so he could kiss my cheek. Our eyes never left Nessie's sleeping body.

She was still, the passage of time marked only by her shallow, even breaths. Behind her thin violet eyelids, her eyes fluttered restlessly, searching for an unknown something in her dreams. Every once and a while, she would take a deep breath, as if to say something, and then sigh, rolling over with a twitch of her lips. I watched her carefully, periodically checking to see if she had regained some color and if her vitals were strong.

Finally, I turned to Edward. Renesmee's heartbeat was thrumming and steady, and though she was still very pale, there was a hint of a rosy blush on her cheeks. "I think I might go hunting." She seemed stable enough, and I did plan to hurry home.

"Now?" He raised an eyebrow, though I could see he knew I should. My eyes were black, contrasting his honey-gold irises, and all of the blood today had only intensified my thirst.

"I'll be back as soon as possible. Call if anything happens."

I kissed Renesmee's forehead, squeezed my reluctant husband's marble hand, and left. My eyes pricked as I sped away.


	3. Chapter 3

I had just dropped my third, drained elk to the frozen ground when my phone buzzed. Wiping my hands on the grass, I whipped it out and answered.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Bella, it's Rosalie. Sorry to bother you."

"Oh, that's okay," I said, a little surprised—and a little worried. Why was she calling? Had something happened to Renesmee? Immediately I was anxious.

"Um, Charlie is over here right now and wondering where you are. We told him you were going shopping," she trilled.

"Charlie? Did he even call before coming over? What about Renesmee?" I was suddenly frantic. Charlie would freak if he found out that my daughter was sick… and I didn't want him to see her in her current state. I hoped they hadn't let it slip.

"We told him that Carlisle and Nessie went with you. They're upstairs in Edward's room, hiding."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Good thinking." Though Charlie must be suspicious as to why _Carlisle_ would come…

"Anyway," Rosalie continued, her golden wind-chime voice breezing away, "are you almost done? He only just got here, so do you have anything to do to pass the time?"

"Well, I could always run into town," I said. "I'm sure I could buy Nessie a present there, to go along with the shopping alibi."And my daughter surely deserved a gift, after such a traumatic day.

"Yes… I think about half an hour should be long enough to stay away. We'll try to shoo Charlie out until then, because if you're back he'll demand to see Nessie. Seth's here, too, so that's probably why he's still hanging around, anyway."

"Of course. Thanks, Rose. Bye." I hung up and sighed. The hunting trip had seemed to be the best way to clear my mind, but instead had gotten me mixed up with lies to my own father. Oh, well. It was for the best, undoubtedly.

Giving one last glance at the dead elk, I sprinted off towards downtown Forks, wondering what in the world I'd get for Renesmee; nothing immediately came to mind.

I was there in less than five minutes, where I slowed to a stop and started walking at the irritatingly slow human pace. Shops were starting to close around town, so I knew I'd have to hurry, though.

Finally, I spotted the only reliable gift shop in Forks, _Little Treasures_, owned by elderly Mrs. Emerson. Swinging open the door and starting off a little tinkle of bells, I took a deep breath and stepped inside. Since it was a popular shop, the scents of many customers still lingered. Even though I had just hunted, I _was_ still a newborn, and so many scents in one cramped space made breathing uncomfortable.

It was unfortunate that I lived in such a small town. I knew Tilda Emerson, and she knew me. She tottered over at the sound of the bell jingling and smiled.

"Oh, hello dear. The shop closes in fifteen minutes." The portly, aged woman paused, pushing her thickly rimmed glasses further up her nose. "Do I know you?"

"I'm Bella Cullen… formerly Isabella Swan?"

I thought she'd drop dead right there. "Bella?" Flustered, she studied me carefully. "I… you've changed so much, dear… I can… barely recognize you! And did you say Bella Cullen? Did you actually marry Edward Cullen? I've heard rumors, but…" she stuttered off. What I would give to know what she was thinking!

"That's right, Mrs. Emerson," I said as politely as possible, fingering my wedding ring. My air supply had vanished, and I turned away to gulp a refill. Her scent was still uncomfortable.

"Well—what can I help you with?"

"I'm looking for a present for my adopted daughter," I said, proud that I had remembered to use the public story. It was hard to even comprehend that Renesmee wasn't my child.

"Adopted… daughter?"

I sighed, becoming a bit irritated. "Edward's niece, orphaned by a car accident. We took her in."

Mrs. Emerson studied me for a minute more. "Alright. We have some stuffed animals over here, and a plastic baby-doll collection from the late nineteen eighties—"

"Thanks for helping me; I'll look around by myself." I hated that I was being so rude, but I had little time left and wanted to get moving. Mrs. Emerson kind of tittered a little and then left me.

Quietly browsing shelves stacked with every unique gift imaginable, I sighed. What would Renesmee appreciate?

And then, I spotted it: The perfect gift.

It was a small, wooden, ornate jewelry box with soft gold etchings carved delicately on its edges. When I opened it, a small ballerina with a striking resemblance to Alice dipped and twirled to a hauntingly beautiful piano piece. As I shut the box, small words caught my eye—I must have missed them:

Vous êtes mon amour immortel.

I was a little surprised my new vampire brain translated the words so quickly: You are my immortal love. This box was _meant_ for Nessie.

I smiled and purchased it.

On the lightning fast sprint home, I fingered the box… and the second gift I that had caught my eye in the window display of a jewelry store: A light golden chain that supported a peanut-sized diamond. It had been expensive, but every penny spent would be worth it when I saw Nessie's reaction. I'd put this in the jewelry box to surprise her.

On the way back in, I spotted Charlie's cruiser drive by. My father didn't seem to notice the vampire that sped by at the speed of light just beyond the forest edge. He looked pretty annoyed and absorbed in something. I guessed it was the fact that I'd been gone all afternoon.

Edward seemed delighted to see me, and when he saw the box in my hands, he smiled. "Is that for Nessie?"

"Of course," I replied. "Where is she?"

"She was up for a while, but now she's drifting off again. If you hurry she'll still be awake."

"Hurry," I scoffed. Vampires had no need to hurry. "Will you come?"

I received no answer—only his following footsteps as we darted up the stairs to his room.

Renesmee was lying in the trundle bed with the blankets drawn up to her chin. My daughter had gained back more color in my absence, but I was still worried. Thankfully, she was awake and aware. "Momma!" she cried, reaching out to me. I sat down on the floor next to the bed as she put her hand on mine, the silent cry of happiness louder than a spoken one.

"I got something for you, Nessie," I told her, handing her the ornate wooden box. She studied the carved words for a minute.

Her hand, still on mine, showed me that she was confused. She recognized the language but could not understand the words.

"You're right; they're French. It says, 'You are my immortal love.' Do you like it?"

A wide grin spread across her chalky face, and the rosy blush on her cheeks brightened. Her liquid chocolate brown eyes glimmered with unspoken joy, and I knew I had been successful in my purchase.

"Open it," I murmured, lifting the lid for her. She was silent for a while as she lifted the necklace from its resting place.

"Do you like it?" I asked, worry suddenly coating my voice. Had I not gotten the right gift? Perhaps this reminded her too much of Aro's necklace. Her silence was unnerving…

"She loves it, Bella," Edward assured me.

Her eyes wide, Nessie unclasped the necklace and held it out to me. "Please?" she asked.

I grinned, relieved, and re-clasped the chain of shimmering gold around her neck.

She put her hand back on mine and showed me that she would alternate between wearing her Christmas locket and this necklace everyday; she loved them equally. Then she hugged me hard.

Edward groaned and sat down beside us. "I feel left out," he murmured, putting his hand on Renesmee's cheek and his arm around my waist. "You both owe your lives to me, you know…"

I nudged him playfully. "Don't you mean it's your _fault_ that we're alive right now?" I couldn't help it; the words spilled out of my mouth and did their damage. He cringed, obviously still unwilling to forgive himself for giving me the best human experiences possible. "Oh, come on," I said, softer this time, wishing I could take back the words. "We forgive you. _I_ forgive you."

"Bella," he warned, although his tone told me he wasn't just cautioning me. "That's after dark talk."

Renesmee seemed to have barely noticed our little exchange. She was mesmerized by her gifts.

I stroked her cheek with my cool hand. "Tomorrow," I said, "you should feel better. When I was human, it was always just a day sickness."

Nessie looked up at me with her large, intelligent eyes. She then nuzzled her head into my shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered. "It was absolutely perfect."

"Could _anything_ be more perfect than her?" Edward asked. "She's half gorgeous human…"

"And half angelic vampire," I reminded him, resting my chin on his shoulder. He sighed and shook his head. "What is it that makes you so opposed to the half of her that made her what she is?" I demanded.

"I'm not against _her_, Bella—I will never be against her. I'm against about how I gave her that half. I killed you." His thick eyebrows pushed downward and a deep scowl marred his expression.

"You saved me," I corrected. In my arms, Renesmee shifted, yawned, and fell asleep, blissfully unaware of the growing tension. I had hit Edward's fatal flaw smack in the middle.

"It's all the same!" he hissed, his ochre eyes dark with remembrance.

I was shocked. And all of this time I had thought Edward had taken back his horrible views on immortality. "Edward, why don't we just—"

"Bella, we've had this argument before. We may be able to spend the rest of our lives together, but the state in which we spend them is a different story. I'm glad you're alive, but you know this isn't what I wanted. If you'll excuse me…" With that, my husband stood and left the room. This was an anger issue I'd never had before with Edward. It was so not like him to just get up and go. And it made me mad.

I gently set Renesmee down and tucked her back in bed before darting down the stairs. Jacob was in the living room, sitting as far away from Rosalie as possible. "What was the bloodsucker's problem?" he asked, the whole time glancing anxiously up the stairs toward my daughter.

"He's still stuck on the fact that the whole lot of us are blood-thirsty killers who have no souls," I spat sarcastically, groaning. "Where'd he go?"

"Edward? Oh, he just stormed out to the garage," Rosalie informed me in her trilling voice.

"Ugh!" I was in the garage instantly; just in time to see Edward's Volvo speed away down the Cullen's driveway. In a last effort, I tried to release my shield so that it incased his car, and I let loose my mind, but he was driving fast, and I only got mere milliseconds of furious thinking, hoping that he'd heard me.

In anger, I sank to my knees. We were all stressed out, worried sick about Nessie. Edward had snapped. It wasn't hard to imagine me following in his footsteps, soon.

* * *

It was nearly dark by the time Edward came back. Esme had been pacing with worry, and even Rosalie had glanced anxiously at the door once and a while.

Finally, I heard a car pull in and jumped up from my seat on the couch, where I'd been sitting since he had gone. Carlisle, reading an enormous science book on genealogy, looked up at me and smiled. "It's about time," he murmured. "He must be under stress, what with Nessie sick…" He paused thoughtfully. "I bet he's wondering if the vampire side in her will keep her well, or if she's going to be sick more often. I know I am."

"Me too," I whispered.

I quieted as I heard footsteps on the front steps.

Edward's pale, serious face greeted me. His eyes were clouded and his mood stormy. "Renesmee?" he asked, solidifying Carlisle's suspicions.

"Rose and Alice have promised to look after her all night…Jake's up there now. I'm exhausted… I'm going to the cottage." I hoped this silent invitation would catch his attention, but he nodded and let me go. For the first time in a long time, the bound over the river did not leave me breathless. I needed Edward. I needed his support and unwavering hope in situations like this. Once again, Renesmee's chalky face appeared in my mind, the small dribble of blood trailing down her chin. When would she get better? I had been so sure it would pass in the morning, yet even Carlisle seemed worried about her hybrid genes…

I waited for him, curled up in a fetal position on the bed, wearing real pajamas, not the skimpy lingerie that Alice had packed for our honeymoon. Tonight would not be a night for love. It would be a night for talking and reassuring. I needed to remember to put on a façade of calm and comfort, even though I was reeling inside.

At some point, I closed my eyes and laid there, deep in thought. It felt good to come to terms with myself in the utter blackness, even if I could not truly sleep. Edward found me there, and it only took one touch for me to become aware again.

"You looked dead," he noted quietly. Tonelessly.

"Now, that was the reaction I'd been looking for," I said, rolling my eyes. "We need to talk."

He didn't wait for me to continue, but instead launched into a little speech of his own. "Look, Bella… I know I probably overreacted… especially by leaving, but I think I have it all figured out. I was—"

"Stressed," I put in.

"Yes, and frustrated for snapping at you, and bitter because…"

"Because I brought up the fatal argument," I once again added. "Your overreaction was my fault, Edward. Don't ever think differently." I didn't add that his walking out had been completely childish and beyond frustrating.

He sighed, exasperated. "That's just why I left, love! You're so selfless and convincing that everything is not my fault and completely okay. That makes me question theories I've put in place since day one as a vampire, and I'm so selfish, thinking that I must be correct, that I can't bear to be wronged."

"Which makes it my fault," I finished, staring him right in his honey eyes.

"Isabella Cullen, I despise your faith in me," Edward groaned, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me down.

"As do I, sometimes," I murmured, turning and digging my hands into his tousled bronze hair—so much for the no-love policy.

* * *

We tore apart from each other before seven o'clock the next morning, murmuring, "Renesmee," as if her name was an explanation. I decided to be nice to Alice today and spare myself incensed looks, so I pulled on a fairly casual day dress and flats. A little more dressed up than I'd have liked, but I valued my life and didn't want Alice to show me how to use my closet.

She was probably over-stressed as it was.

I flew back to the house, Edward's hand in mine. I slowed considerably as we reached the front door, suddenly breathless with worry.

"What's wrong, love?" Edward asked instantly.

"Nessie," I gasped. "Oh, we shouldn't have gone back to the cottage. We're horrible parents, Edward!"

"Cut that out," he chastised softly. "We needed a break. Don't doubt that I know everyone here knew that."

I snorted.

Inside, Rosalie and Alice were messing with a scrapbook; a good sign, I decided. Jasper hovered over Alice almost instinctively, and Carlisle lingered near Jacob, who was holding my daughter.

I nearly gasped with joy. Everything about Renesmee was back to normal. Her cheeks were flushed healthily, her chocolate brown eyes were once again bright and aware, and there was an aura of peace and wellbeing about her. On her neck, the diamond necklace glittered brightly.

Jacob turned and grinned. "I guess you were right, Bells. Nessie only had a day sickness." His face was finally calm and relaxed; he had been liberated from an imprinter's involuntary worry. His subject of attention was okay again.

"How long has she been up?" I wondered.

"Just five minutes," Rosalie chimed. "She's been dying to see you since."

So I held out my hands to Jacob, gesturing that he was to give her to me.  
I could see the not-so-mental sigh he let out as he surrendered Nessie to me. She smiled blindingly as her hot little palm touched my cheek. She was showing me herself waking up, and the wonder of suddenly feeling all right was prominent in her little show.

I beamed at her, a heavy weight lifting off my chest.

"Do you want to see Daddy?" I asked, marveling at her perfection.

_Yes._

I passed her to Edward, and he stared at her devotedly. She sat in his arms and used her means of communication to tell him something.

"We've got to get her dressed," Alice said, clicking her tongue. "She can't go another minute wearing her pajamas."

"Rather," I added, "you can't go another minute seeing her in her pajamas."

Alice sighed heavily. "You're certainly one to comment, Bella. Your fashion taste is…"

"Hey! I tried today," I protested, grinning at her and spinning so she could see.

"I know," she muttered, rolling her eyes jokingly. "I saw. And if I hadn't been okay with your decision, I would have stopped you."

Hardly offended, I turned to Jake.

"How's Billy? Have he and Charlie become friends again?"

Jacob huffed. "I don't know. I haven't been over there in a long time. I've been…" He didn't finish his sentence, and he didn't have to.

Jake had been here, hovering around Renesmee like the fool I knew my best friend to be. I chuckled to myself. "Perhaps you should visit them. Billy probably misses you."

"Nah. Billy's tough," he said, but I saw through that. It was Jacob's way of saying: I don't want to leave Nessie.

"Jake… he needs you. At least go say hi. Renesmee will be right here when you get back; I promise."

I winked as he sighed and got up, giving Renesmee a longing look. She waved at him and he grinned, if not a little halfheartedly.

"I'll be back as quickly as possible, Ness," he promised earnestly. And he was through the door and phasing in the same breath.

Nessie watched him go. Her hand on mine showed him leaving, but she wasn't sad. Rather, she seemed a little happy.

"I'm glad he'll be with his daddy."

Rosalie giggled. "See? Jacob isn't the focus of her attention!"

The small hiss that came from my daughter told me that she disagreed with Rose. She touched my cheek and reminded me that all she wanted was for Jacob and his father to be on good terms. Jacob was still hers, and she was expecting him to return shortly.

"I know," I murmured. I was reminded of it several times a day.

She reached out further and pressed harder on my cheek, wanting to go hunting.

Edward sighed and stepped closer. "You could just tell me, you know."

"But you already know what I'm going to say, Daddy!" she chimed, her soprano voice like music to my ears.

"True."

"Hunting?" Emmett asked. "I'll go!" I rolled my eyes. His eyes were still golden, and he'd refused yesterday. But then again, I would be going, and I had hunted more recently than Emmett.

"Me, too," Rosalie chimed.

Renesmee hopped agilely out of Edward's arms and out into the yard, waving her hand. Grinning, I followed; dashing after the little person I loved most.


	4. Chapter 4

**Yay, more chapters! From this chapter on, it is 6 years in the future, alternating from Renesmee's POV to others'. I know the beginning was random, but remember, I began this story as an eleven year old - it didn't seem right to take it out, and I think it adds some depth to the story. **

**Also: I don't mean to make out Jacob to be a jerk. If you really think about it from his point of view, I hope it makes sense. **

* * *

I yawned, stretching. I'd just woken up from the most amazing dream, and I didn't want to let it go. I'd been in South America, visiting Zafrina and her sisters again. When we'd gone earlier, three years ago, we'd all had a wonderful time. Even Senna had been friendly, and she hardly ever spoke. Mom had kept insisting that I was irresistible and could break through anyone's hard outer shell.

"Are you up yet?" a familiar voice asked. I sat up and was greeted by Jacob Black's huge frame blocking my doorway. His dark eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Stalker," I said, smiling. "Didn't I tell you not to watch me sleep?"

"Your mom didn't mind when Edward did."

"Aw, Jacob."

He laughed. I got out of bed and sighed, brushing a wavy strand of bronze hair from my eyes.

"Are you going to let the psychic get you dressed?" he asked. A taunt.

"Hell no," I replied, wrinkling my nose and smiling wryly. "Alice's got style, but… too much of a good thing is bad." I paused, waiting for the proper reaction. "So… that means you should probably exit the room, now, Jake."

"Oh! Sure, Nessie." He winked at me and shut the door behind him.

I smiled to myself. My best friend was a crack-up. I pulled on jeans, a long-sleeved tee and a brown fleece, as it was winter. Then I tore a brush through my wavy tangles—the tight ringlets had disappeared with age.

When I left the room, Jacob wasn't there. Curious, I stepped outside and saw him a few paces away, under the branches of a Sitka spruce. He was waiting for me. "Renesmee, I want to ask you something," he called, beckoning me over. He looked rather nervous, I noted as I went to him.

"Yeah… what is it, Jake?"

"Um… I know this is really awkward, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to ask you when Edward's around," he cleared his throat and got down on one knee. His hands were shaking badly."Renesmee Carlie Cullen, I've known you for six long years. You make my days brighter and my life worth living. I've loved you every second of every day, and I promise to do so until my life comes to an end. Will you marry me?"

Oh, crap. I'd known this was coming. Everyone said it was my destiny, insinuating I had no choice. It was what was expected of me. But I didn't love Jacob—not in that intimate way. I loved him as my closest friend… not a husband! Was I totally going to screw my friend? Or was I going to ruin my happiness and say yes, doing exactly what everyone expected of me? Pleading black eyes stared up at me as I fumbled for words. What was I supposed to _say?_

"Oh, Jake… I… Oh, my, gosh, this is a lot to take in," I chuckled a little hysterically. "You're my absolute best friend—nothing more or less… I'm not sure that I can pretend to have feelings for you that I don't have. I will always love you, but not in that way… I'm sorry—I just can't."

I almost died when I saw his face fall drastically. Suddenly, footsteps came with rapid, vampire speed. Dad was next to me instantaneously, before the snow beneath his feet had settled a hundred yards away. He'd heard. Could this day get any worse? It was barely eight in the morning!

"Jacob!" He was appalled. "Did you just—?"

Jacob got up from his knee, his thick eyebrows pushing together until they were joined as one.

"I guess you heard, then," he muttered, staring hard at the patchy snow on the ground. "After all these years, still no privacy."

Dad looked at me, a little surprised at Jake's reaction. "Nessie, you said no?" He was shocked, but I could see it in his eyes: he was a little relieved.

"I did have a choice, didn't I?" I asked weakly, but it was not Dad that answered.

"But it wasn't supposed to be like that!" Jake suddenly cried, tortured. "That's not how it's supposed to be! Renesmee, everyone who's been proposed to by the imprinter since the beginning of time has said yes, because they feel the same way! Just like Emily and Sam, Jared and Kim, Paul and Rachel, and soon enough, Quil and Claire! We're supposed to be tied together! We're supposed to love each other unconditionally, just like Bella and Edward!"

"Don't you dare talk to her like that," Dad steamed. His black eyes had only a bit of gold to lighten them, and when he narrowed them, they looked more than a little unnerving.

"Dad, please—" I protested. Jacob, my Jacob, was hurting. And in turn, I was hurting, too. A bond, a bond stronger than friendship, tied us together—I had to admit that. I just didn't know if I wanted that bond to include true love.

"He has no right to try to tell you what to do!"

"I was only stating it how it is! Of course, you wouldn't understand, Edward, because imprinting is a much more natural form of love. You don't take innocent human girls, brainwash them, knock them up, and morph them into bloodsucking monsters!"

"Don't ever insult my parents, Jacob Black!" I screeched, horrified, and my sudden blazing rage showed vividly in my tone. Years of watching my mother and father had proved there was more to their story than the monstrosity Jacob had just outlined.

Dad's fists balled up, and the woods fell utterly and deathly silent. I could tell he was trying—hard—to control his anger at Jake.

"Please leave before someone snaps, Jake," I whispered. "You're doing more harm than good. Please."

"I'm showing Edward how it is, Ness." With that, he turned and stalked away, trembling all over while clenching his hands into fists. I thought I might cry. _Don't leave Jacob!_ I suddenly wanted to scream. _Don't leave, I didn't mean it, please_.

"Don't be sorry, Renesmee. Just know what is right, do what is right, and everything will come together as it should." Dad wrapped me into a deep embrace and kissed the top of my head. "Jacob just doesn't understand, and neither do I."

"What? What's there to understand? The fact that I don't love him, as I should?" I wondered, heartbroken.

"Exactly. Now, come on. We should tell Bella about this."

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me," Mom said, shocked. She lowered down into the white couch in the living room. "He did that? Jacob?" A strange emotion I couldn't name flitted through her features, distorting them for a brief second. "How? Why?"

"He loves her," Dad murmured. "Very much." A very pointed glance was shot my way. I seethed. He'd known. He must have known. And somehow, he must have thought I'd say yes—he would have stopped Jacob otherwise.

"Stop giving me the guilt trip, Dad," I snapped. "I can have feelings, too."

"But that's not how imprinting often works. Mm," Grandpa Carlisle mused. I wanted so badly to say something back to him, but the utter compassion and thoughtfulness etched in his stony face made me stop in my tracks. Dad's lips twitched, reading my thoughts.

Aunt Alice flitted about, rearranging random bits of furniture so that they looked even more perfect than before. "If only I could clearly _see_, then maybe I would have seen why this morning was all blacked out. I just assumed Jake was coming over."

"I don't see why you're all worried," Aunt Rosalie muttered irritably. "I'm rooting for Nessie." She flashed me a grin. I barely acknowledged it.

"Rose, please?" Nana Esme asked. "This is no time for talking poorly about Jacob."

"I might have a word with him," Mom continued.

"Oh, Mom, please! Don't yell at him! I think he was only stating his feelings!" My plea came out strangely empty. Of course nothing could change her mind. She was Bella Cullen—and nothing could change Bella Cullen's mind once it was set.

"I'll talk about what's necessary, Renesmee."

Dad put his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder, silently agreeing.

"Ugh, you guys," I muttered. I flickered to my mother's side and transmitted my emotions to her: exasperated, guilty and sad… among others. She sat me in her lap like the old days and held me close to her.

"I have a theory," she murmured. Grandpa Carlisle, Dad, Uncle Jasper, Aunt Alice, and Aunt Rosalie all leaned in closer to hear. Uncle Emmett didn't seem to really care, and Nana Esme was too busy wringing her hands at the flood of emotion in the room to do much else.

"It just came to me a second ago. Jacob got angry with her. Why? Jacob never gets angry with Nessie—even if it's justified. He insulted Edward in front of her. Why? He knew it would hurt her." Mom paused, letting her words sink in. She was right. Something was up—Jacob had always known that insulting my parents and our lifestyle was the number one way to piss me off. "I think—again, this is a theory—that something happened when Jake imprinted. Werewolves have never imprinted on anything besides a human. Vampires are their natural enemies. Something could have gone wrong, and the side effects could be showing now."

"But he was so devoted to her before," Esme said. "He acted like a normal imprinter should!"

"This makes some sense," Aunt Alice said, looking directly at Grandpa Carlisle. "What do you think?"

"It's very probable," he said quietly. "But confusing."

I was devastated, and my knees felt weak. My Jacob could not be failing me! I was the one failing. I was smart enough to know that if his imprinting faded, he would not like me. He would want to kill me. And that was bad… very bad. It would mean that I would still care, and he wouldn't. I couldn't bear to hear myself think that, even though deep in my heart I knew the thoughts were not true.

Dad exchanged a glance with me, my pain echoed in his dark eyes. "But we can't be sure yet," he added. "Jacob has been known to overreact."

Mom looked at me, her liquid golden eyes burning with sorrow. She didn't want to lose her best friend, either, not only because of their friendship, but because he was tolerant of her transformation only while he had me. "I'm so sorry…" This was her selflessness again. Of course she would take all the blame. Mom could trace a problem back to the very beginning, and somehow twist and warp the story till she had been at fault. It was something both Dad and me hated and loved, at the same time.

"Don't be," I said, holding back my displeasure. Because this time, it _had_ been her fault; her dumb theory had sparked a fear in me that was terribly hard to quell. "I'm going to talk to Jake." Ignoring my family's protests, I darted out the door, wishing this morning could have been skipped entirely.

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**See what I mean by random chapter? Ah well, it leads into the rest. Thoughts? What do you think Jacob's going to do - how is he going to react when Nessie tries to talk to him? **

**Review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**You wouldn't believe the amount of editing I do before posting what was supposed to be a 'finished' chapter. Ugh. Oh well, totally worth the output. :)**

**And sorry for the short delay - freshman year's finally begun! But this could mean, in the future, slower updates. I apologize in advance. **

**And I forgot to mention this in my previous chapters, but here's the official disclaimer for the whole story: I do not own the characters and the world in which they live in. I can only manipulate Stephenie Meyer's complex creations - she owns everything but the plot. **

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I watched Renesmee leave, slamming the door behind her with more force than was necessary. Her long, wavy bronze hair splayed out behind her as she ran, a vague reminder of the tight ringlets of years passed. Of less stressful years, when she still fit so easily in my stone arms, when Jacob was nothing more than an overprotective brother.

I felt terrible. Why had I put up my theory in the first place? Though very much a possibility, but would hurt Jacob and had already hurt Nessie. It had been hurting _me_ since I'd heard the news.

Edward's eyes met mine, and I could see that he was hurting too—not because of my awful theory, but because of his daughter's burning pain. He hated to see Nessie in any kind of agony.

My fault.

Jasper had to sit down, overwhelmed by the flood of emotions in the room. Esme had Carlisle in her arms, and her large golden eyes were filled with worry and concern for her only granddaughter. Rosalie and Alice were at a huge window, peering out as if to try to see Renesmee. Rosalie's fingers moved with inhuman speed as they twined and untwined.

"She's with Jacob now." Edward's lips were pressed together in a hard line as he concentrated - he was reading minds farther out than he normally did. "She's telling him the theory. I don't know if—" And then he froze, his eyes narrowing. "Jacob's angry. Bella, he's refusing to believe you. He thinks… somehow… well, for the most part, he's confused." He looked at us, and that was all it took.

And then my once-statuesque family was all action, sprinting out the door. My newborn strength had subsided, and I knew my place. I was the third fastest, besides Edward and Carlisle; years of working to match Edward's pace had paid off. I pushed myself until I was exactly with them, though. Edward's eyes were closed, going on Renesmee's scent or her thoughts.

Alice was right behind me, with her equals, Jasper and Emmett. Rosalie and Esme trailed behind, the slowest of the group. "I can't see anything!" Alice wailed. "I'll never forgive myself if something happens!"

There was a sick feeling that crept up to tighten my throat in that moment. Of course I'd known for a long time that Alice couldn't see Jacob or Renesmee, but the danger of her obliviousness was real, now. I didn't know if Jacob would lose it, do something in his guilt he would regret later. Emily's scarred face flashed into my mind and I flinched, unwilling to imagine my daughter marred with a similar injury. Her skin was surely strong enough to repel a wolf's claws, but what if those claws had been created for the exact purpose of destroying such skin...?

I ran faster. Edward's bottom half was a blur, and even my sharp eyes could make out no solid shape of what should be legs. Carlisle matched his pace, although he was a little slower. Centuries of running, I guessed, helped him keep up.

I drifted out, about five yards away from the main group, when I smelled the strong scent of my daughter and Jacob. The scent we had been following was leading right to the cottage and, now that I thought about it, was slightly faint. Now I knew it must have been from this morning.

"Stop!" I cried, and instantaneously everyone was at my side. "Smell."

Rosalie breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness you weren't going with us, Bella."

We walked now, and could hear voices as we drew noiselessly closer.

"Jacob, you know I only came to you because I needed a friend," my daughter's soprano insisted.

"Nessie, I need to ask you something: do you love me at all? Do you love me enough to want to be with me?" I was angry. Was he truly that blind? Could he really not see how much she did love him, even if it wasn't the way he'd imagined.

There was a very pregnant pause as Renesmee deliberated.

"I gave you my answer when you proposed, Jake. I love you more than my own life. I'll always love you. But I _do not_ want to marry you."

A snarl and a ripple of air told me Jacob had phased. I waited, held my hand out in caution, even though my family's faces were strained. Edward swallowed as he resisted the urge to growl.

"Jacob, please understand that Mom's theory is probably wrong! I can see that you do love me; who would ever doubt that?"

_Yes_, I pleaded, _yes it's wrong_! And then I gave my family a very pointed look and eased out into Jacob and Renesmee's sight—if Jake didn't take this well, I wanted to protect my child. Losing her would destroy me.

The huge russet wolf's muzzle was pulled back, showing his razor sharp fangs—though not at my daughter; he could not be angry with her. He was clawing at the ground, snarling in anguish. _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!_

I was free of the surrounding brush and at my daughter's side in a moment's breath. Renesmee's incredulous expression could not have been more readable. She hated me intervening for her sake, even if it meant life or death for my precious daughter. "Mom!"

"Nessie, perhaps we should leave."

Then the rest of my family emerged, because obviously self-restraint was not on the menu for this morning, and Edward frowned. "Jacob. Jacob, control yourself."

The wolf whirled around, glaring at us. When his dark eyes met Renesmee's pained brown ones, he howled pitifully.

"He's… heartbroken," Edward translated. As if we couldn't already tell.

I grabbed my daughter's hot hand and guided her paralyzed form away from the scene. I wasn't sure how much more she couldn't handle before she snapped. Rosalie took her after that, and led her away, murmuring to her in subdued tones. I stepped up to the Jacob-wolf and put my arms around his muzzle. He was shaking, huge tears welling in his eyes. A soft whine slipped through his teeth.

"Jake. Hey—shh… It's going to be okay." I pushed out my shield—something that was a reflex to me now—so that it surrounded Edward, and shared my thoughts with him. _Can you roughly translate his thoughts to me, Edward?_

And Edward's voice changed until it almost matched Jacob's. "I can't believe it, Bella. I won't believe it. Your stupid theory—look what it's done to her!" Edward said in Jacob's voice. Jacob looked surprised, as he had not expected his thoughts to suddenly be so vocal, but soon recovered.

"I know, Jake, and if I could take it back, I would. I don't know what's happening either—I only thought of it in desperation—"

Edward's Jacob-growl cut me off. I guess he was relaying Jake's thoughts to me as they came. "Six years of my life, Bella, six years—all for nothing. I care about her more than anything in the entire universe. And she rejected me. Try to remember when Edward left. Try to multiply that by ten. You'll still be light-years away from the pain I'm feeling. I tried to be what was best for her... apparently I was wrong."

My breath released in a soft hiss of pain. I remembered, all right, even though the memories were muddled with the limitations of my human sight. It seemed impossible that Jacob could be in more pain than I had been during those long months. Nothing could possibly amount to that kind of agony. Edward winced, too, at the reminder of my suffering.

Far away, I heard Renesmee begin to cry. I couldn't even begin to imagine how much this must hurt for her, too. "Jake… perhaps you should give her more time. She loves you, I know she does, in her own special way."

"But it's not enough," Edward translated, and Jacob snarled and clubbed a tree with a huge paw. It cracked miserably and toppled to the forest floor. Jasper and Emmett tensed, ready at my flanks. A low growl rose up in Emmett's throat, a terrifying sound of caution.

I put my hand out and touched the top of Jacob's head softly. He shuddered. "I'll talk to her, okay? I don't want to fight."

Edward's impersonation was strained as he relayed Jacob's next thought. "Fine. Fine. Just make sure she knows what the right choice is. The choice she's ignoring." And Jacob turned and sprinted away, off into the depths of the forest. Tormented howls followed his path, tore at my dead heart.

"Guys…!" a new voice exclaimed. Seth Clearwater burst from the forest, a human. The rest of my family, too, came out fully from the bracken, and looked at the fallen tree and the young shape-shifter."I was on patrol and heard it all… is it true? Did Jake…"

"Yes," I whispered.

Seth winced. "He's really… Well… He's hurting."

"You can't blame Renesmee," Edward suddenly snarled, incensed."You can't force her to love him like that when she so clearly doesn't."

Seth backed up a bit, hands in the air. "I'm not! I'm not! It's just going to take time for him, I think. It can't be easy."

"Well, time heals." Carlisle breathed, for once at a loss for more comforting words.

There was a snap in the woods and we all turned to see my daughter emerging from the forest, her beautiful face bearing the tracks of fallen tears.

"He's gone, isn't he?" she barely whispered. "All because of me. I could have lied, at least… said I would think about it so I could have talked it over with you guys… And now he's so angry… How could I have been so selfish? I should have realized I'd done something wrong, led him on when he wasn't ready!"

"It is not your fault," I reminded her firmly. "Something's just different between you two. When he imprinted, something didn't click." I was reshaping my theory as I spoke—maybe the imprint wasn't fading, maybe the natural aversion of vampires and wolves that ran so deeply in their veins was keeping them apart. It seemed more plausible then my previous assumption, but didn't placate the hurt. No, that would take more than a simple rewrite.

"I just feel so stupid, like things are going all wrong because of me."

I cringed at all of my dim human memories. I was surprised that Jacob didn't hate my bloodline, and that he had stuck with us. This was the second time he had been heartbroken by a girl with chocolate brown eyes. "I know the feeling."

"Mom…" she mumbled, "How could you ever feel this way?"

Of course she wouldn't believe there could be more pain than this; she had never been exposed to true suffering. I would never have allowed it, naturally.

She didn't even know.

I hugged her close, but looked past her shoulders until my gaze met Edward's. I flexed my shield, making sure it was still firmly in place. _Should I tell her? Should I tell her everything?_

He cringed a little bit, and, quite indifferently, shrugged his shoulders. It seemed only Alice had seen that little exchange, because she put her hand on my husband's shoulder.

"Come on. Let's go to the cottage," I told Renesmee softly. "We need to talk. About everything."

Carlisle touched my arm. "We'll be back at the house, if you… need anything."

"Thanks," I breathed, and took Nessie's hand.

How had things become so utterly complicated?

* * *

I took her into the room Edward and I shared. The bed was pristinely made, and I plopped down onto it, mussing the neat white bedding. Nessie did the same, but her careful eyes never left mine. She was perceptive, even more so than myself, Edward had told me. She knew something big was coming, but she kept quiet.

"Now, please, if you have any questions… just ask. I regret not telling you earlier, but I was waiting for a moment like this, when you needed to know about my past - and Jake's. Today's been so… hectic. You don't know the truth—the whole story. Now I'm going to tell you everything."

She nodded, a bronze wave trailing down her cheek like a waterfall, fluid in its stillness. She was so heartbreakingly lovely. She was so heartbreakingly sad.

I took a deep, unnecessary breath and began.

"I first met your father when I was in high school—as a human—, about eight and a half years ago. At first glance, I thought he hated me. He glared at me like he'd discovered I was the bane of his existence, and shunned me. I'll admit I was frightened of how black his eyes were, too. But that lasted only for the first day, because he left very quickly. After a few days of absence, he came back, and I noticed his eyes had changed, and he was friendlier. You can guess why.

"We became friends, and somehow he was protective of me. You've heard the story of the van, haven't you? That's when I first suspected something was different."

Renesmee nodded, remembering. That fateful day had become legend in the Cullen family; even my daughter knew the story.

"It was a little after that when I met Jacob - well, remet, to be more accurate. I'd known him for a while; our dads were best friends and we'd kind of been childhood acquaintances. He belonged to the Quileute tribe, so I asked him about their legends. He told me, and I now had my seemingly ridiculous answer. Of course everything changed the moment Edward realized I knew.

"Edward took me to a meadow—we were now kind of unofficially 'dating'—after I gave him my theory. He showed me it was true, and I was amazed." I paused, trying to remember the specifics of that day. I could see his skin, sparkling like a thousand luminous diamonds in the sunlight…"What happened next was how James came in."

"The tracker?" Nessie asked. "The one who tricked you?"

I nodded. My memory of that day only existed around Edward's saving me, and the fire he'd put out.

"Then it was my birthday. I… cut myself on a present, and Jasper… he couldn't help it, and I don't blame him. Edward decided that his life was too dangerous for me."

My daughter's eyes widened. She had never heard what came next. She had always assumed that life went on normally, that Edward and I had been together since first meeting. We had never bothered to correct her assumptions before; had never explained to her that we had been through terrible heartbreak as well. We hadn't wanted to hurt her, to place any doubt in her mind.

Of course, now we realized how foolish that had been. Nessie was so unprepared for heartbreak.

"He took me out into the woods behind my house, and told me he was leaving. I asked when we were going, because being my stupid self, I assumed that I'd be going with them. He said that I was staying behind, that I would never see him again, and that it would be like he never existed. He said that he didn't _want_ me. And then he blew off.

"I was hurt. I wandered around, getting myself lost, calling his name, when I finally collapsed in grief. I think I passed out. Sam found me and took me back. I was like a living zombie for a while, but your grandpa finally convinced me to go have some fun, or he'd ship me off to your grandma in Florida.

"So I started hanging out with Jacob again. Edward had made me promise not to do anything reckless, but whenever I did, I saw him in a… vision of sorts. I was probably hallucinating, but I craved it like a drug. So I got Jake to let me ride a motorcycle, which I crashed. Then he banned me from doing that again. But when I saw cliff divers, I knew what had to be done. Even with Jacob, every night I had nightmares and was slowly burning away.

"I needed your father. So, without Jacob knowing, I walked to the edge of a cliff and… jumped. I could _see_ him. In the water, I let myself sink. I only wanted to die so that I could be with him in a perfect heaven, but Jacob rescued me.

"Alice came soon after that. She'd seen me, and thought me to be dead. Jacob came to my house that day, too, and Alice had to go out because of the stink. Someone called. Now, the Clearwaters' dad had just died, and Charlie was at his funeral. Jacob answered the phone. Someone asked where Charlie was. Jacob told him he was at 'the funeral' and hung up. The person on the phone was Edward."

Renesmee gasped. "So someone told Dad you'd jumped and died? And that Charlie was at your funeral?" Perceptive, of course. I didn't even need to explain.

"Exactly. Alice understood all of this. She saw him racing to Italy—to the Volturi… to die. We had to go. Ignoring Jake's protests, Alice and I went to Italy and saved Edward."

I broke off, remembering. It was so hard. Finally, I just choked up and told her some more, her face getting grimmer and grimmer as the story went on. She was finally understanding the compexities of her parents' relationiship, every painful facet that had drawn us closer over the years.

"…Victoria had come because Edward had killed her James. She wanted to kill me, because I was Edward's. She smelled Edward and found our little encampment."

"But Jacob was gone! It was just you two against her and Riley!" Nessie protested.

"Seth was there. He killed Riley. But Victoria wasn't done yet. She had Edward in a position that meant he couldn't move. She was going to kill him. I couldn't let that happen. I took a rock and mimicked the third wife, cutting myself. My human blood, being so potent to vampires, attracted her immediately. This gave Edward the chance he needed, and he killed her."

Renesmee listened with rapt attention as I told her the rest, and looked about to cry when I told her how badly Jacob was hurt, and how he disappeared as soon as he was better. But at my wedding, she looked angry that the memory-Jacob had hurt me, had protested. Still… her eyes were wide. She had had no idea of my relationship with her Jacob before today, and I could tell it unnerved her a bit, made her doubt.

"…And at Isle Esme…" I grinned fiercely. "Well, it was all perfect until the dreams and the food cravings began. And then I figured it out. I was pregnant with you. All hell broke loose. Edward wanted to get you out of me, to kill you, because he didn't understand that you were special to me. My little nudger, I called you."

"My little nudger?" She wondered. "Why?"

I smiled sadly, and instinctively touched my rock-hard, flat stomach. "The first time I touched the little bump, I felt a tiny nudge. That was you, telling me not to be scared and to hold on for a month. Of course, Edward didn't understand—yet. I called Rosalie, and we formed a lasting friendship. Before you, she didn't like me. I think she hated me for choosing life as a vampire. But I had to be with Edward. Because of you, Rose and I found that we are more alike than we thought. But I don't think she really expected me to live. Your father told me that all that she really cared about was you. That she didn't care if I lived or not."

"Oh, Mom…" Renesmee murmured, almost wistfully. "Really?"

"Yes. But it's what I wanted, too. If I had to choose between us, I would have picked you, undoubtedly. Rosalie was the only one that really, truly cared about you at the time. Edward understood when he heard your thoughts, because he doesn't—can't—hate anyone that really loves me… except Jacob. But that might have just been jealousy."

Nessie cringed. This was so new to her. The idea of Jacob loving me—and that she had hurt him again, as I had—was incredibly hard for her.

"And you were so strong," I continued. "You broke my bones, but you were just too big. I didn't have enough room for you… we didn't know…"

"I hurt you," she said flatly. I realized with a guilty start that we'd lied to her about almost everything. "Mom, I'm sorry—"

"And it's your fault how?" She didn't answer. "Listen, Renesmee. I could have let you die, but the pain was worth it. Now, back to the story. For a while, it got bad. But we figured since you're a half vampire, why not feed you what you want? You were just hungry. We got better instantly. Then I began fiddling with names. I had my heart set on you being the perfect little boy, looking exactly like Edward and taking none of my mediocre human traits. I would have named you EJ, or Edward Jacob. And I also played with a cross between Rosalie and Alice, but it was kind of ugly. Then I tried Renee and Esme… Renesmee.

"Your birth wasn't exactly planned, and I nearly died, but your father was hard-pressed to get the venom in me and save you. The placenta broke, and you were suffocating. And when you were safe, I laid there, paralyzed by morphine, and faced the endless, painful burning—" And then I stopped up short, horrified. What I had just said, caught up in my own memories? I had lied to everyone about the morphine… and I had just told my daughter everything! I wanted to slap myself across the face. I wanted to take it all back. Renesmee stared at me, a little surprised.

"It hurts?" she asked, a little surprised. "I thought you said it was painless." Of course she would pick up on my mistakes. My damn perceptive girl.

"Um… can you not think about this when your father's around, please? I kind of lied…"

"Oh," she said, embarrassed. "Okay."

"And then I woke up, and… you know the rest, I guess."

My daughter stared off, her intelligent chocolate brown eyes reflecting the dark gray sky through the glass window. "I didn't know… Jacob loved you… Victoria… Dad left… Rosalie didn't care…"

"It's not a big deal, Nessie. The past is the past."

"But I didn't know the past! All I've known is what's going on now. I didn't know all these things!" she snarled.

"We waited for the right moment to tell you," I repeated, feeling immensely guilty. She was right. We had lied… about a lot. And now, of course, we realized that had not been the right thing to do. Was lying ever right?

Not in this world.

"It's not your fault. You're right. But I feel… different. Weird. New."

"So now you know," I murmured sadly. "Now you know why Jacob's so upset. Now you have the insight." _Insight I denied you, precious Nessie. This is my fault_.

"But what should I do?" she asked, pained.

I looked at her helplessly, words forming and reforming in my head, never quite right.

But of course she understood, and that hurt, too.

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**Read and always review! Anonymous feedback is greatly appreciated, too!**


	6. Chapter 6

**This could either be a very short chapter, or a long-ish one. It depends on how short "short" turns out to be. Enjoy. :)**

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_Renesmee's POV:_

The minute we stepped outside of the cottage and into the gray light filtering through the heavy clouds, my mind whirling and reliving the conversation, Dad was there. He looked anxious, his eyes probing. Reading my mind, no doubt.

_Um, can you not think about this when your father's around, please?_

And I couldn't help it, not when I'd reminded myself like that. I thought about it. Dad heard, and recoiled in shock. His eyes widened in the pain of my mom's simple words. I flinched.

"Bella!" He said her name sharply, an accusation full of pain.

Mom looked at him, her eyes wide, and then looked at me. Her eyebrows pushed down, and I knew she regretted spilling her secret.

"Sorry," I mouthed, guilty. I didn't know it would make Dad react like this. He was almost hyperventilating.

"You lied!" Dad was still surprised, still throwing a fit.

"About what?" Mom said, trying to act casual, and failing. "I told you I was going to tell her about the past."

"The morphine! Bella… you… it hurt?" He trailed off, his black eyes emotionless and yet filled with anguish. "All that time you were lying there, silent… it was holding you down… you were burning, and you never said a word! Why?" He sounded awed at the same time.

"It was to protect you, Edward. You know that. You couldn't have stood it if you'd known."

"Bella… you could have told me." He calmed down a little, but though the words were a whisper, the emotion behind them was unbelieveable.

"No, I couldn't have. You know how you are, always protective. You would have thrown a hissy fit."

"Dad, it's all over now," I started, changing the subject mostly because I was embarrassed to have spilled such an intimate secret. "Can we go back? I'm thirsty."

Mom touched his shoulder met his eyes in a passionate glance."Come on, Edward. Let it go. Let bygones be bygones."

Struggling with himself, Dad turned to me and in a swift motion, picked me up and carried me like a baby as he ran back to the big house. As I gasped and spluttered like a child, Mom let out a bell-like laugh, and suddenly I felt my emotions shedding from my overweighted shoulders, like the skin of an onion. They still clung to the edges though, waiting to reattach, but for the moment I was free. I could deal with handling Jacob in a little while. I could tackle my grief later.

It was nice just to be with my family right now, to have some semblance of normalcy.

Light, almost musical footsteps echoed behind my parents', and I knew instantly they belonged to Aunt Alice. I could also hear her sigh, and could almost picture her honey eyes rolling.

"Edward, what are you doing?" she asked, a hint of disapproval flavoring her tone. She had no reservations when it came to treating me like a baby herself, but when it was my dad, Alice was all-adult.

"Spending quality time with my daughter."

I snickered at his innocent reply.

"She's six years old, for God's sake."

"She's still my little girl."

"You guys are embarrassing me," I said.

"Sorry, Renesmee," they chimed in perfect synchronization.

Dad jumped low across the river and let the tips of my hair skim along its churning, freezing surface. When I looked up again, the gray sky was rapidly turning black, and the snowflakes that fell from it were getting more and more abundant, blown by a strong wind. There was a storm coming, and it excited me. Snow was far better than rain.

Mom saw this, too. "We'll be stuck inside for most of the day." She slowed to a walk, and Dad followed her example. "So I guess—"

"Ugh! As if we need more snow," Aunt Alice groaned, and the snow intensified, the wind howling horribly. She squealed as she ran for the door, shielding her hair from the heavy flakes.

I screamed—half in delight, half in mock-horror—and flipped out of Dad's arms to stand under the porch overhang. The air whipped snow incredibly hard against my skin, but I barely felt a thing. Snow was caught against Dad's perfect skin, refusing to melt but hardly fazing him. I put a hand out and formed a snowball, tossing it at him playfully.

Mom was watching me, her long mahogany hair weighted down with the heavy flakes as she stood next to Dad. Her dark, buttery eyes watched me intently, but a huge, eight-color rainbow was laid out on her wide smile. I knew she was happy to see me grinning again.

Aunt Alice had escaped inside before the snowstorm and was watching us with a wrinkled nose from inside. She shot me a glance and rolled her eyes, motioning toward my parents. _Immature!_ it seemed to say.

"We should go inside," Mom shouted over the wind, laughing. "Alice is practically dying!"

I could see Dad's mouth moving, but his words were lost in a perfectly aimed snowball. Mom howled with laughter as her target wiped bits of it from his face. I was laughing, too, until they both hit me at the same time. Then I laughed harder.

Finally, Dad swung me up onto his shoulders and they converged on the front door, where Aunt Alice was waiting with a stern expression and a handful of towels.

"Esme would appreciate it if you guys didn't get her carpets all wet," she said, handing us the fluffy towels. Mom and Dad dried off a little under the overhang, then came inside and took off their shoes and socks. The snow that had refused to melt outside was turning into puddles of water inside. "Renesmee, you aren't that wet… or weren't until you got hit…" - she threw a scathing look at my parents - "Anyway, I've laid out clothes for you in Edward's room." She shot him a glance. "Bella, you're pretty much Rosalie's size… maybe a little smaller… so you can get some of her clothes, and Edward… you have clothes here, don't you?"

"Gee, Auntie," I said, rolling my eyes. "It's as if you knew this was going to happen."

The very business-like expression vanished as she smiled at me. Then her eyes unfocused and the smile melted from her face.

"Alice," Jasper murmured, coming to my petite aunt's side, "what do you see? Alice?" His hands moved to cup her cheek, his eyes burning with curiosity.

"We're going to get a very... interesting letter," she said, and burst into a bright smile.

Edward looked at her. "What? Alice… I hate it when you do this!"

"She's blocking her thoughts again, Dad?" I asked, cracking a smile.

He pursed his lips, and I took it as a yes. At least Alice had perfected the art of controlling her thoughts. I needed to ask her help sometime so I could get some privacy. Like it or not, Dad knew all my secrets.

"Come on, Renesmee," Mom said gently. "This letter business can wait, so let's change."

Dad followed us up the stairs, his usually tousled bronze hair matted to his head and dripping down his marble skin.

I let out a long groan when I saw what my dear aunt had laid out for me. It was an ivory sundress with subtle ruffles along the bottom hem of the skirt. Held on by two thin straps that I unwillingly put over my shoulders, it blew in even the slightest breath of a breeze. Typical Alice Cullen; she never let me pick out my clothes when given even the slightest opportunity.

"You look beautiful," Mom commented as I twirled for her once I had it on and had put my hair up in a careless ponytail. I frowned at her.

She was still in her soaking clothes.

"Avoiding Rosalie's closet?" I teased.

"Yep. But Alice caught me a few minutes ago, and it'll be hell to pay if I don't get changed within ten minutes." She grimaced and cursed lightly under her breath before escaping into Aunt Rosalie's room. Five minutes later, the blow dryer turned on, and fifteen minutes after that, she came back—looking very disgruntled.

"It was the only thing that looked comfortable!" she spat. She had on dark brown leggings and a casual red tunic that she kept picking at—they were a far cry from her typical jeans-and-a-tee ensemble. But she looked amazing, even in these casual clothes, and I was a little jealous. Though I'd been assured since birth that I was pretty, nothing could compare to a vampire's flawless perfection.

Dad came up from the stairwell and froze upon seeing my mother. He'd changed a while back. "You look lovely, Bella." I could see he was fighting a grin, knowing exactly how she hated it.

"Say any more and I will break your face, love," Mom grumbled. Dad let a chuckle slip and she glared at him. I could tell all she wanted was a ratty tee shirt and sweats.

I turned away from them as they bantered and went into Dad's room, shutting the door behind me. His clock read 6:57pm, and I was surprised. Time had passed in a crazy blur.

All at once, the day's events came crashing down, suffocating me in the silence, taking my breath away. Jacob proposing, his eyes brimming with hope I soon dashed... Dad yelling… _Me _yelling, yelling at my Jacob… Jacob, sick with grief, with pain… Jacob, begging me, pleading to accept him… Mom, revealing her past and unraveling a life of lies…

A huge gust of wind rattled the glass and brought me back to reality. Snow stuck to the enormous window and I watched it numbly, tracing all the complicated patterns on the other side of the glass as they formed, reformed, and were wiped away with the fingers of the wind.

My eyes drooped, and I slumped down on Dad's couch, mentally and physically exhausted. Within minutes, I had fallen asleep, my dreams fleeting and always out of reach.

* * *

_Edward's POV:_

In my room, Renesmee's thoughts ceased, which might have been a good thing, seeing the dark turn they had taken. Nevertheless, a little alarmed, I opened the door. She was curled up on my couch, fast asleep, her bronzy waves splayed like seaweed across her rosy cheeks. I sighed. She must be exhausted.

My fists balled up hard enough to pulverize granite. It was Jacob's fault, of course. Though I knew I owed the young man many times over, he never failed to irritate me with his primitive relationship tactics.

Bella touched my shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"Of course I'm not," I murmured, turning to her and stroking her cheek lightly. "Love, no day has ever been harder on me. Except…" I trailed off, remembering.

"Finish your sentence," she demanded, curious. I sighed, hating to bring it up.

"The worst day of my life was the day I thought I'd lost you. The day that Rosalie told me you'd jumped off that cliff and I called Jacob. He knew I was on the other end of the line. _'He's at the funeral,'_" I repeated his foolish words with a bitter hiss. Why couldn't that silly dog think clearly?

Bella sighed, looking at her hands, and changed the subject. "How hard it must be for Nessie… And yet she handles it with the grace of a grown up," she whispered.

"It's his fault. Now she feels forced—like she has to make a choice for the rest of her life. She thinks saying yes would help." A growl escaped my lips and I ground my teeth.

"Edward. Let's calm down," she whispered, touching my cheek. I shuddered slightly. I was a century old, yet old desires still ruled. "Jacob has done so much for us."

"Mail's here!" Alice chirped from downstairs, a cheerful lie and also a welcome distraction. _It was here a while ago, Edward, but I just wanted you to wait. I'm so devious. _She cackled.

It was so Alice to do that. I took Bella's hand and we flew down the stairs to where Alice held a single letter in a creamy envelope. "Let Bella open it, Ed." I hissed at the detested nickname.

Bella's eyes widened as she read the address. "It's from Mike Newton!" she exclaimed. "But, Alice, this is addressed to Charlie's house."

"I saw its delivery and took it before Charlie knew the mail had come. Apparently, Mike is still adamant about you being single." Alice winked, knowing it would make me even more irritated than I already was. Mike was sending Bella letters?

"He came to the wedding though, didn't he?"

"I don't think it really matters to him," Alice shrugged. When I leaned in to read the letter, she slapped me away.

_And I'm not opening my mind until Bella reads the whole thing aloud._

"Shut up, Alice," I muttered. Bella read it blessedly quickly and handed it to me.

_Bella-_

_We are pleased to announce the marriage of Jessica Stanley and Michael Newton. The ceremony will be held at historic Grayson's Baptist Church at 4 p.m. Sunday the 29th of November, and the celebration will continue with dinner in the baseball park. Please attend. There will also be a baby shower two weeks later for the unborn little one, though the date is TBA. Thank you and we sincerely hope you can make it._

_—Jessica and Mike_

_PS: Bella, please come! I know you've been busy and Jess misses you a lot. Are you still with Cullen? I hope you can make it, at least—he's not invited, if you know what I mean._

_-Mike_

I gave the letter back to Bella, resisting the urge to run into Forks and snap Mike's petty neck. But my wife's eyes were round with pride, and I knew hurting the obnoxious human would hurt her, too. "I didn't know they're going to have a baby!"

Alice beamed. "So… you're going?" she asked.

"Aren't you going, too?"

"As you've noticed, we weren't invited. Only you were, but since lucky Edward has married you…" she trailed off, but her thoughts didn't. _If you go, you'd better take pictures. And I get to dress Renesmee. I already have a dress!_

"Can it, Alice," I groaned.

_We'll have to buy a suit for you and a dress for Bella. Oh, the possibilities!_

"Alice, we do have clothes. There's no need for an overreaction, here."

"I think I have a dress in my closet fit for the Queen of England," Bella muttered, catching on. "It's in two days… Alice, how long have you had this letter?" She glared at my sister. "It would have been nice to know, you little freak."

Alice smirked and stuck her tongue out as I frowned. Two months. Damn, she was good.

Rosalie, who had been quietly watching, sighed. _That's a good tunic she's wearing. Oh, well… I'll go buy a new one._ Always thinking about her own interests—I could count on Rosalie for that. And it was a welcome distraction, as Alice prattled on and on about dresses and tuxues.

I was becoming very jealous of my daughter's ability to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Wow, nearing the end of the stuff I had written... Only maybe 3 or 4 more chapters to go before I begin to start from scratch again! Though I'm constantly writing, it feels futile because I'm always posting huge chunks! I've got to speed up, I guess. :) **

**I'd also like to thank vampalicious and Torchwood Boy in particular for posting really nice, helpful reviews. It's way better than just "ERMAHGERD WOOW CONTINUE!111!1!" if you know what I mean.**

* * *

_Edward's POV_

The next few days were frenzy of hurried preparation—for Alice, at least. She spent the majority of her time badgering us about buying new clothing, and what hairstyles we were to have, but Bella rolled her eyes and brushed Alice off. "You had your wedding experience, Alice. There's no need to get this excited," she reminded her, to my sister's great annoyance.

Renesmee was a different story. Obviously and undoubtedly, she was our child. Even dimwitted Mike would realize that. But she was going, Bella decided, as she had never been to a wedding before. Let Mike make his own assumptions. If it got too bad, she'd added, we'd put forth the public story, however unbelievable it might be. Her eyes were a huge contradiction to the niece façade, but I reasoned that Mike wasn't that bright, anyway.

Alice dug around to find Nessie a creamy white dress (because that was Alice's favorite color on my daughter) and curled her hair back to what it used to be. Bella picked at random a silk dress from her closet—a dress that sent me into waves of nostalgia, it was so similar to the one she had worn upon waking up as a vampire.

Men were always easier to dress. A generic tux would suit me just fine.

We took Bella's Ferrari, and she drove. Renesmee sat in the back seat, pressing her face anxiously to the window. _I wish I could have some sign Jake were here… He's disappeared._

I reached back and patted her hand. Her liquid brown eyes dragged me into her worry, too, when she looked up. For a split second, I was actually feeling sorry for the dog. Unbelieveable.

* * *

Grayson's Baptist Church was decorated with slightly wilting freesias and a huge banner that read, 'Congratulations, Jessica and Mike!' The building itself was small, with one cramped sanctuary and a few administrative offices. The lack of adequate space was made more uncomfortable by the amount of people who showed up. Jessica and Mike had always been generically popular; it was only natural they would have many friends.

The first stares we received upon arriving came from Angela Weber and Ben—who had recently made Angela his fiancée. _Wow! Is that Bella? She looks so amazing! I'm so proud of her! And Mike's even invited Edward Cullen, here, too... that's different. I wonder who that girl next to them is? She looks a lot like Edward…_ She beamed at us from across the room, and Bella waved enthusiastically at her. Ben blinked a few times, stunned.

We found seats near the back as the rest of the crowd filed in. The wooden pews creaked under so many people. Angela's father took the stand as the wedding march began to float from an outdated organ. Mike's thoughts hinted that Mr. Weber had only been recruited because Mike wanted his wedding to be similar to Bella's, and I suppressed a snort. Though their wedding was cute in a rundown way, it would never compare to Alice's flawless planning. I'd have to tell her as much.

"I do!" Jessica squealed after practically sprinting down the aisle. She was pregnant—and well on the way. Her stomach ballooned from her body, but she'd been fitted in a dress that elegantly concealed the worst of it.

"… and will you, Michael Howard Newton, accept this woman as your wife, though sickness and health?"

"I do," Mike said, smiling contentedly.

_OH MY GOD! I married Mike!_ Jessica's mental shrieks of exultation were impossible to miss. Mike's thoughts were equally pleasurable. Everyone clapped, and my hatred toward the young man was suppressed enough to force my hands together. It was his wedding day. I wouldn't kill him. Yet.

* * *

_Bella's POV_

I clapped for the happy couple, and Renesmee—next to me—did the same. "Jessica seems a bit egotistic," she noted quietly as we began filing out of our pew. Relentlessly perceptive.

"Sometimes," I murmured. Well, a lot of the time, actually. But I was pleased for the young couple; they would be happy together.

We waited politely in line to shake the bride and groom's hands. I stood in line before Edward and Renesmee—Jess and Mike would be more comfortable if they saw me first.

When Mike caught sight of me, I took a deep breath—and not because of thirst.

"B-Bella? Is that you? You look…"

I heard Edward's teeth grind together. Apparently, Mike had forgotten to whom he'd just been married. I smiled at him, my eyes flashing across his boyish face. Six years later, he still managed to look younger than his twenty-four years, though his hair was uncharacteristically gelled back.

Jess was speechless, too. "Wow, Bella. I haven't seen you in a while!" Her eyes glinted in a strange way as she took in my appearance. Jealousy? I'd have to ask Edward later.

"Hey, Jess. Congratulations!"

"Thanks!"

She couldn't help but look at Edward, who said, "Congratulations, Mrs. Newton," in such a honey-sweet voice I could tell she'd been thoroughly dazzled. It was nice to know, in a strange way, that I wasn't the only one.

And then Mike's gaze wandered down to my hand, and his gaze locked on my ring. "You're still married?" he said, almost regretfully.

"Yes—and happily," I said, sighing. Why would be bring something like this up at _his _wedding? Edward nodded at him, and Mike swallowed, his hands twitching. It was clear he was angry that Edward had come and hadn't stayed home as per his request.

"Oh." He shook Edward's hand stiffly, and I was proud that the both of them behaved themselves. Then he locked eyes with Nessie. "And you are?"

"This is Nessie." Edward said simply, choosing to use Renesmee's nickname. That was probably for the best.

Jessica squealed. "She has your… um… eyes, Bella! Is she related?"

I smiled graciously at her, ignoring the question. "So, I heard you were pregnant."

Her hand drifted to her midsection, where the rather large bump was sticking out. "Yes. Do you want to hear name choices?"

I took her hand, and Jess barely flinched. "Totally."

"W-well, if it's a boy, we're going to name him Tony, after Mike's grandfather, and if it's a girl… I'm naming her Katherine."

"Pretty," I said. "Good choices." If not a bit generic.

I heard the first small raindrop on the roof of the church as I shook Jessica's hand. I guess the snow wouldn't last long.

"Are you coming to the baby shower?"

"I don't know. I might have something going on for that day. I'll try to cancel it, but who knows."

"Okay."

I moved ahead, since we had been holding back the line for a while.

Edward shook his head. "Mike's irate. He thought he could still win you over even after he married Jessica. He was even considering cheating for a while." He snorted. "He's even having some rather… well, rude… thoughts about Renesmee."

"Mike is a character," I murmured, opening the door for my family.

Edward hummed a small agreement, but the look on his face told me he was troubled. I touched his arm, concerned. Was he really that upset about Mike? That didn't seem right; surely Edward knew I was his and his only.

"What is it, Edward?"

He shook his headly slightly. I frowned. "Tell me," I demanded. Otherwise, it would bother me all day.

He sighed. "It's Jessica." For a twenty-sixth of a second, I was alarmed, but Edward quickly went on. "Her pregnancy." Oh. This was much, much worse. "She's so... happy. Glowing." His frown deepened into a loathsome scowl, and he ran his fingers roughly through his hair. I knew what he was seeing in his mind: Jessica, plump and round, healthy and glowing, and me, frail, angular and so thin it was painful, bruises painting my pale skin.

"Edward," I said quietly, "if I could do it all again, I wouldn't change a thing."

"I would," he snapped, shoving his hands into his tuxedo pockets. My eyes dropped to the ground and I let it drop.

Nessie had been quiet the whole time, which was unusual. I'd expected her to interrupt and take Edward's side, at least. But her lips were pressed together in a hard line.

When we got to the car, she took a deep breath and I saw Edward wince. "Momma, I can't go to another wedding."

"Is something bothering you, Nessie?" I asked, motioning for Edward to drive and getting in the backseat with my daughter.

"It reminds me of Jacob."

It was silent in the Ferrari—except for the purr of the engine—for about thirty seconds. Wind howled overhead. Alice had been right. It was a stormy week, both weather and mood-wise.

She nestled into my shoulder, and it reminded me of when she was just a baby, with thick curls and a forever-smilling, tiny face.

We were nearly home when Edward screeched to a stop. Something—someone—was blocking the road.

"Jacob!" he muttered, getting ready to open the door.

"No!" Renesmee breathed, suddenly elated, putting a hand on his cheek. "Let me."

"Nessie… I know you want to comfort him, but—"

But she was already out of the car, much to my concern. I watched anxiously as she approached Jacob, ruining her pretty dress in the now downpouring rain. Alice would not be pleased. Again.

I could hear everything clearly.

"Nessie!" Jacob cried, running up to her and hugging her tight. "Nessie, I'm so sorry!"

"Jacob…" she whispered, half sobbing and half laughing. And she reached up and kissed him.

I saw Edward freeze, exactly like he had when he'd discovered I was pregnant. I was motionless, too. I'd never seen, or really thought of, Nessie kissing anyone. It had always been a foreign concept, but was now splayed out in front of me in painful detail.

Though Jacob was taller than my daughter, he leaned down and cupped her cheek in his palm. One of her arms wrapped around his waist, and one of his pulled her close to him. They stayed together for a long time, and when they finally pulled away, breathless and equally surprised, Nessie touched his cheek and said, "I'm so sorry, Jake. Please, will you forgive me?"

* * *

_Edward's POV_

Renesmee's thoughts were a jumbled mess when she tore away from Jacob and said, "Please, will you forgive me?" And it wasn't her fault in the first place! She was as excruciatingly selfless as her mother.

And Jacob hugged her there in the rain. "Nessie, Nessie, Nessie, of course I will," he crooned, kissing her again. I was so furious I couldn't move a muscle, though my lip was curled in disgust. Bella slipped up beside me in the front seat. She looked strained, her perfect features slipping into a worrisome mask.

"Jacob," Nessie murmured, "You're my best friend. How could I have hurt you like that?"

And Jacob held her. _I knew you'd come over, Renesmee. We're meant to be. We're soul mates. I love you. Now you'll see. Now you know that we should be together._ I pressed my hand to the wheel, sounding the horn. My daughter looked over at me guiltily.

_Dad… please…I'm trying to apologize to him!_

Jacob's thoughts were triumphant; he felt—a little guiltily, admittedly—that perhaps he had won her over.

I started to inch forward, eventually bumping into the soaked two. Renesmee burst into a fit of giggles, sitting down on the car hood. Jacob almost followed, but Bella yelled, "You dent my car, I'll kill you, Jacob Black," and he got up, grinning.

And then Jake's thoughts changed, took another direction. He was becoming arrogant, thought that Renesmee had somehow had an emotional ephiphany— and he was going to ask her again. I could tell what my daughter's answer would be, as selfless as she was. She would not want Jacob to hurt any more.

"Renesmee, get in the car!" I called. "You're all wet!"

She looked at me oddly. "Dad… not now." _Is it Jacob? Look at him, Dad, he isn't doing anything. He's happy._

"Edward?" Bella asked, slightly confused. Her wide eyes zeroed in on my panicked expression.

"He's going to ask her to marry him again… He's going to try to guilt her into it. And I'm sure she'll say yes, just so he won't hurt anymore. But she doesn't want to, or else she would have agreed earlier. I won't let her be guilt-tripped into this," I stressed in a hushed whisper. Bella frowned, worried.

"Come, Nessie! Alice is waiting!" she added suddenly, and I knew she felt the same as I.

"I'll come, too," Jacob offered, guiding her to the car. Holding her hand.

I gunned the engine. "Not now, wolf." He caught my expression and frowned.

_What are you up to, bloodsucker? Why…_ Jacob growled deeply when he figured it out. _You just don't want us to be together! You won't _let_ us be together! I always knew this is how it would end! The overprotective leech, deciding his daughter's fate for her! You're a sick bastard!_

Nessie went to him, concerned, but he pushed her away—gently, of course. Hurt, she cried out to him, but he was still screaming horrible thoughts at me and growling. His form was blurring as he shook, and he refused to let Nessie near. Eventually I heard the click of the seatbelt as my daughter got in the car, but she was now suspicious and very, very angry.

"Dad, what the hell?" she demanded. "Let him in! We were just making up!"

Bella looked pained. "Please, Nessie!" she trilled nervously. "We'll explain later, just... please!"

Jacob started toward the car, his mind full of images of himself ripping me apart limb by limb, but I was fast. The car shot forward just as Jacob phased, his huge paws missing the back fender by centimeters. Then the great wolf took off after us, running as fast as he could.

"Dad, what did you _do?_" Renesmee demanded. "Why is he upset?"

"Nessie, he was going to propose to you again."

Renesmee put her head in her hands and breathed in deep breaths. Suddenly, she, too, was thinking of creative methods to bring about my demise. "And you solved it by taking me away?" she hissed. "Why?!"

"Because he thought he had a good chance. Now he blames me for trying to keep you apart," I growled. My daughter was silent and seething. She hated me for making Jacob angry again. Once, I might have felt remorseful, and I suppose I did, deep down. But I knew in the end she had to understand that what I'd done was for her eventual benefit.

I saw black eyes glitter in the wet foliage, and I pressed the pedal down all the way. Once inside the garage, I put down the door and rushed my family inside. Jacob was circling the house, howling in fury and yearning for a chance to see my daughter again.

Alice's eyes were wide open. She was sitting on the couch with Esme, Rosalie, and Jasper. Carlisle shut his medical book and stood, worried. Emmett was out of sight.

"What… happened?" Alice gasped, taking in Renesmee's soaked dress and our surely wild expressions. I could see the horror and worry on our faces through her thoughts. _Edward, was it Jacob?_

I nodded my head imperceptibly.

"But it's not like you think," Renesmee put in stubbornly, glaring at me. _Traitor_.

"Then what? Nessie…"

"Let him explain it to you." My daughter's voice broke. "Let him explain how selfish he is." Then she turned, blew up the stairs, and was gone.

I heard a single broken sob as a door slammed, a lifetime away.


	8. Chapter 8

_Renesmee's POV_

Furious and blind with anger at my father, I shut myself in the attic and wept. My Jacob had finally come around. We'd apologized. Everything had been okay, more than okay, even. And then—what? My father, my stupid selfish father, had broken in and spoiled the moment. So what if Jacob had proposed again? I did have feelings for him, and although marriage was not what I really wanted, anything I could do to make Jacob happy would be best.

Watching him hurt again was not an option for me. I would willingly burn in the deepest pits of Hell, be tortured by Jane for hours, than to have Jacob be in pain. I would protect him with my life and I knew he would unquestionably do the same for me.

We were two parts of a whole, and that was why I could not live without him; Jacob kept me sane in the world of the supernatural, gave me a shoulder to lean on and a laugh when I needed it most. He was the brother I had always wanted and never deserved, and so in turn I tried to be there for him, tried to be that kind of a friend.

But marriage...

It surprised me when a knock sounded against the attic door, interrupting my internal rant. "Renesmee," a voice murmured, speaking low and full of reassurance. When he came through the door, I saw it was Uncle Jazz. "I know you're going through a difficult time right now, but locking yourself away with your frustration isn't right. We're all here for you, and worried." He frowned slightly.

Uncle Jasper had always seemed a little distant, a little on the edge of my family—a constant presence, just easily overlooked. But he'd always been there as a compassionate person, and someone to go to when your feelings needed healing. So I barreled into him with a hug that would have knocked a tree down. Still, it was as if I was hugging a marble statue. He chuckled, and my mood intensified.

"Mm. I haven't seen much of you since Jake…"

"I've just needed time alone," I replied, pulling away.

"I wouldn't recommend doing that. You'll pull away into a world of grief that's very hard to get out of. Ask your mother."

"I heard," I grumbled. It was so awkward, knowing what my father had done. I'd never have guessed it before. It only amplified my anger towards him now, though Jasper quickly suppressed it.

"Renesmee, you know all of us—especially your mother and father—would do anything to make you happy."

"My father… He tries to do good, but it always screws things up in the end," I mumbled, sorry that I was so sour. I hated talking about personal issues with anyone but my parents, but of course Uncle Jasper had my emotions mostly in check.

He looked a little saddened. "Not many people take me to be a talkative person," he murmured. "But I love you just as much as Alice does."

"That's pretty much unconditionally," I said, finally cracking a smile.

"There's not much I can say besides the fact that we will work this out together; we always do," my uncle said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "And what your father does is because he hates to see you unhappy. He'd do anything to try to help his little girl. And yes, sometimes he ignores obvious consequences. He's impulsive; whatever he thinks is right at that moment is what he will do. There's no impact calculus involved - he overlooks the obvious."

"Like the oh-so-obvious fact that I have the ability to choose my own fate?" I grumbled.

Uncle Jasper grimaced. "Yes. Sometimes. But promise me you won't be too angry with him. He's ran off to the cottage, agonizing over his actions."

"Okay," I sighed, though I wondered if I had been slightly manipulated by the feeling of resignation that washed over me. Jasper winked once, and disappeared.

Eventually, I left the attic behind and headed to my father's room to rest. I wasn't usually this tired, but today had been an especially long day. The sight of Dad's immense CD collection and the musty, sweet smell it gave off made me feel at home instantly. Curling up on his couch, I suddenly noticed his cell phone, gleaming on the solid mahogany desk. I grabbed the small, silver thing, and, without thinking, without breathing, dialed the one number I probably shouldn't.

"Edward?" Jacob's answer was laced with confusion and fury as he answered on the fourth ring. "What do _you_ want?"

"It's Nessie," I whispered, clutching the cell phone closer to my ear. Just the sound of his voice was enough to make me want to see him again badly. To apologize for my dad's deplorable actions, to explain myself fully.

Obviously, Jake was still furious with my father. "Does your bloodsucking leech of a dad know you're calling?"

"Jake… no." I sighed. "He doesn't. I just wanted to hear your voice again."

I could hear his breath of relief as it crackled through the phone line. "Good. Cool. Me, too, Nessie."

"I miss you. I wish… I wish things were back to normal," I whispered, clutching at the phone.

Jacob's line was quiet. "Normal." He sounded a little miffed, and I instantly deciphered his mood.

"Jake… what happened out in the rain… it was real. But I don't know how real. I have to work that out yet."

"It's all your dad's fault!" Jacob suddenly snapped, and the line blanked momentarily. I heard him take several deep breaths, trying to calm down. "He's blinded you, Ness. Can't you see that? I don't know why—I don't think I ever will—but I'm pretty sure he's dead set on ruining my life, one girl at a time."

"Jacob, my dad hasn't blinded me!" I protested. "I'm nearly full grown; I can make my own decisions!"

"You don't understand. You weren't _there_!" He sounded anguished. After all these years, he still had a deep connection with my mother.

"I know. I wasn't. But I'm here now, Jake; I don't think marriage is right for us at the moment. You're hearing this from me, okay, not my dad. You know I love you; hasn't that always been obvious?"

"It's not the way... no one's ever... how..." Jacob growled quietly, probably to himself.

"Jacob…" I started, biting my lip. "I wish that this could change… that I could change—for you. I just… I do love you," I repeated, pleadingly. And then I hung up, feeling like the worst person in existance.

* * *

The next morning, it was obvious Dad was suspicious. Knowing him, he'd probably heard from someone that I'd called Jacob, and he'd probably checked his phone. I hoped it didn't record conversations. I'd spent yesterday evening ignoring him as much as possible, and blocking my thoughts whenever he was around, too chicken to explain my feelings to him.

He'd probably just yell at me, anyway.

Jacob and my father had never really been on the best of terms, although they did get along exceptionally well when they had to. Even the slightest mistake from my friend could result in a dirty look or a hissed, "Mongrel!" from Dad. If my father heard that I had called Jacob, he would be angry.

"What would you like for breakfast?" Esme asked at around nine, seeing that I had made no move to feed myself. "I've made some waffles and homemade yogurt for the wolves—would you like some?" My heart leapt out to her. Whereas my dad would have probably dropped a doggy bowl full of arsenic out for Jake to eat, my grandma had made him _waffles._

"I think I'll have some O negative. But thanks," I murmured. Since I had drunk more blood than anyone in my family, I was the only one besides Carlisle that could tell the difference between blood types. Some were saltier and some were more metallic, but I liked O negative best: my mother told me it was all she drank during her pregnancy.

Esme swept to the kitchen and came back—holding her breath—with an extra large cup of my breakfast. Even with years of practice, handling fresh human blood was still a struggle for any vampire—well, except maybe Carlisle.

"Thanks." I drank hungrily; my control was nowhere near perfect, either.

"Renesmee," she started.

"Yeah?"

My grandmother sighed. "Never mind."

And that was how the morning progressed. I received nothing but '_Oh, Nessie'_'s_, _wistful _If only you_ _understood'_'s, and pitiful looks. I was sick and tired of it all.

And I missed my Jacob.

A few hours later, the doorbell rang. Dad, Uncle Jasper and Aunt Alice were out hunting—probably to talk about me some more. I felt a thrill of excitement as I darted for the door. Could it be Jacob? My heart burst with hope.

But when I yanked the door open with unnecessary force and found that it wasn't Jacob, my spirits didn't drop in the slightest.

It was Nahuel.

In my life, I had only seen him twice. When we'd visited Zafrina, he'd heard that we were coming and had briefly joined us. And then there was the stint with the Volturi, years ago. He was quite the gentleman and I could relate to him, us being half bloods and all.

He recognized me at once, and his face lit up in a brilliant smile. "Hey, Renesmee!" He never called me Nessie, and only when he was teasing did he ever call me 'Ness'.

"Nahuel!" I said, genuinely surprised. "Why…? How…?"

"I was just passing through the area, I guess," he replied vaguely. "Where are your parents?"

"I'm right here," a voice behind me trilled. I turned as Mom appeared out of nowhere and smiled. "Wow, Nahuel, what a lovely surprise. Nessie's been a little lonely."

"Jacob problems?" Nahuel knew all about Jake, and he shared my father's lack of tolerance with him. They'd met only once, and it hadn't been very pretty. Jacob had been particularly rude, so it was natural of Nahuel to come to that conclusion. Not that I liked any of the contempt threading through his tone, though.

"Actually, yes," Mom murmured, ushering him in. Esme and Carlisle materialized behind her, both wearing wide, welcoming smiles. They looked appropriately abashed.

"How are you?" Esme gushed, darting over and hugging him. Carlisle shook his hand heartily, and we all settled down on the couch to catch up. Suddenly today didn't feel so awful.

Nahuel hadn't changed very much at all. He still had the same olive skin and black hair, although he'd cut it so it fell, unkempt, to his eyebrows. The same wide, dark brown eyes betrayed an exceedingly friendly disposition, and of course he posessed the half-vampire perfection that made him just as flawless as the rest of us. He reminded me a little of Seth; perhaps that was why the two had become fast friends years ago.

He told us he'd been wondering around with his aunt, the mysterious Hulien, who I had never met before, and looking for something that could keep him held in place. He didn't like being a nomad, not knowing where he was going or where his next meal was going to come from. He seemed impressed that our family was as situated in Forks as we were. So he had split from his aunt while wandering the States and visited us.

The whole time, I kept thinking: What would Jacob do if he found out? He would most likely be furious, because deep down I knew he would suspect Nahuel had ulterior motives for visiting. Jacob was the jealous type, very protective, and would overreact. I didn't want a confrontation between him and Nahuel, so I was on edge the whole afternoon.

On edge, yes, but at least I was smiling.

* * *

***cue epic music* Nahuel's here! I'm totally inventing his character as Breaking Dawn didn't really give us much about his actual disposition and such. Thoughts/comments/critiques? Review!**


	9. Chapter 9

__**Sorry for the short delay; personal stuff has really gotten in the way of my writing, so I had to push this to the backburner for a while. **

**I should also probably apologize in advance for the plethora of point of view changes. When writing complex scenes like this, I wanted to get all sides of the action, so I'm sorry if it's a bit confusing. **

**As always, please review! I want to know how you're liking the story as it progresses!**

* * *

_Renesmee's POV_

After a much-needed hunting trip with my mother, I spread a blanket out on a relatively snow-free patch of grass with my phone by my side. It was a pleasant day with the temperatures hovering just above freezing. With a jacket on, I was perfectly comfortable.

I'd just started back into re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird for the eighteenth time when my phone rang. Annoyed, I picked it up, not even looking at the Caller ID.

"Hello?" I very nearly snapped. I hated being interrupted when I was reading; I liked to lose myself in books, and outside interruptions were not appreciated.

"Is this Renesmee?" a familiar voice asked cheerfully. Immediately, all ill feelings vanished.

"Hey, Seth! What's up?"

"Look, Jake's miserable over here. He isn't eating or sleeping or anything—he's just moping. So finally a bunch of us confronted him about it, and we had a long talk—_ouch, Leah!_" Seth muffled the phone on his end and snapped at his sister, but I could still hear everything. "_Why would Jake be mad? No. C'mon, it's Nessie we're talking about. Yeah. Go away._" The phone crackled with static. "Sorry about that…" Seth muttered. "Anyway, we managed to convince Jacob to wait a while, to really think about things, and he's agreed maybe he was a little… pushy? I don't know. Whatever it was, he's on his way now."

An enormous weight lifted from my shoulders. "Really?" I gasped.

"Yeah, you should expect him any minute now."

My heart leapt with joy. "Oh my gosh, Seth! That's amazing! Tell everyone thank you, I appreciate it so much!"

The other line crackled with Seth's laughter. "I'm sure we all know that—_yes, even you, Leah!_"

I hung up, completely disregarding my book, and grinned. Jacob was coming! Jacob, my Jacob, was coming, and we could go on without focusing on the past anymore.

I saw appraising faces at the windows of my house—Edward nodded grimly at my hopeful thoughts, knowing it was a lost cause; Nahuel was a mask of hard tolerance. He turned to my father and said something so low I couldn't hear it. Edward's eyebrows pushed down and I could just barely make out an "Of course." I could tell they both would be keeping close tabs on the werewolf for my safety.

And when I saw Jacob emerging from the woods, smiling cautiously yet genuinely, I could forget yesterday—forget how messed up and confusing and heartbreaking it had been. Jacob was here. Everything was going to go back to normal.

_Nahuel's POV_

Jacob came striding out of the woods in his arrogant, wolfy way, grinning widely. Edward and Bella had explained to me all about what had gone on yesterday, and how he had hurt Renesmee.

Renesmee. It was a joy to see her cheeks flush brighter. Her whole body seemed alight with happiness, a complete one-eighty reversal from this morning's mood. She was the definition of ecstasy, and I was entranced. She was the only female half-breed I knew outside of my sisters, and she was so _different_. Happy. My sisters, warped by my father's ways, were kind yet indifferent to the outside world. Renesmee was one-of-a-kind, and she'd fascinated me since day one.

Edward sighed heavily and went upstairs. He had more tolerance for Jacob than I did, but I saw through his sometimes almost flawless façade. He cared for his daughter, and he would be watching the wolf closely. He didn't want Renesmee to be in pain for some dog's sake.

I would never let Jacob Black hurt Renesmee, either.

And I thought I could never feel again. After a failed attempt at a relationship with a mortal, I thought my love life was over. But upon seeing Renesmee for the second time during her visit, I knew not all hope was lost. She was smart, beautiful beyond measure, and seemed to be the missing half of me I hadn't known was missing. The only thing getting in my way of revealing how I felt was… Jacob. Though it was painful, I wouldn't hurt her relationship with him for my own sake, as it would cause her too much pain.

The young man in question burst through the front door with Renesmee's small frame buried in an enormous hug. "—and I'm sorry I ever pushed you to do something you didn't want to!"

Rosalie snorted, crossing her arms and scowling. Our eyes met and we exchanged incredulous glances. "Moronic bastard," she mouthed. My mouth twisted into an amused smirk.

When Renesmee pulled away, she was still smiling. "It doesn't matter anymore, Jake," she assured him. "What matters is that you're my best friend and that you're back. Whatever happened yesterday—nothing matters. We'll just erase everything."

He stopped smiling suddenly, and took on a confused face. "Everything? You mean that… what you said about…"

Renesmee's eyes drifted to the ground shamefully, as if she had done something wrong. "I can't marry you yet, Jake. We've… talked about this - the wolves have talked about this, haven't they? I just can't."

My heart shattered and swelled at the same time. This was something Bella and Edward had left out. They hadn't told me of a proposal, just a possibility. But Jacob had permanently staked his claim—which made confronting Renesmee doubly difficult. Yet, she had said no, which proved she didn't want to be with him... for now.

I had a feeling I would be staying longer than expected.

_Jacob's POV_

There are no words for this. Damn it, there isn't any real way of expressing that there aren't any words for this, either! There was just pain, and so much of it, too.

I kept a straight face on for Nessie's sake, not showing her that my heart had been torn to pieces. That was the second time Charlie Swan's offspring had put me down. I'd have to give him crap about it later—although on second thought, he might murder me.

I wanted to murder myself, too. I loved Renesmee with all my heart—never would I ever try to purposely hurt her. I'd waited six long years to make my move, waited until our relationship seemed like it was ready… but apparently, it wasn't. Nessie had made it quite clear to me—twice—that she loved me as a friend. And I _would_ be a friend to her until she was ready, dammit, but that didn't mean I wouldn't be hurting. I just couldn't let Nessie hurt, too. She was what mattered, always.

I gave a dirty look to Nahuel, who Nessie had explained had just 'popped out of nowhere'. Ha. Like I'd believe such a crappy cover story. He had no place here.

There was soft affection in the way he gazed upon my girl. I wanted to rip his stinking head off. Expletives flew through my mind, and my temper momentarily flared.

"Calm down, Jacob," Jasper murmured, which ruined my easygoing facade. I flinched, letting some of my emotions reveal themselves.

"Jacob, I'm sorry," Nessie said, suddenly devastated. Her arms tightened around me and she buried her head in my chest, her face hidden by thick bronze waves.

I tried to grin like it was no biggie, but it ended up as a crooked grimace. "It's okay, Ness." I glanced outside at the gathering storm clouds. Soon all the leftover snow would turn to disgusting slush, ruining its crystalline perfection. Just like my relationship. "Do you want to hang out?"

"Yes," she said, looking very much relieved, and my fingers traced a stray curl. Through of this, she still wanted to stay with me.

The awkward moment seemed lost forever to Nessie. She took me by the hand and dragged me to the computer, pleading that I get an account on some hipster social networking site she was into."That way, when you're gone, I can at least kind of talk to you," she explained, filling out my personal information for me. It made me smile that she had even my most subtle personal details memorized - just another reminder that she was my special girl.

It kind of ruined my mood to find out Seth had an account, too, though I became friends with him against my better judgement. The kid would probably flood my news feed with his annoying banter.

We went outside for a few minutes before being dragged back in by Alice. "It's going to rain!" she hissed. "Can't you see the clouds?" It was typical of the psychic to be all fussy, but she was probably just worried about Nessie's clothes. I didn't really get it when Ness started laughing, though.

Finally, when it was getting a little late, we just crashed on the couch and talked. The entire time—the _entire damn _time—Nahuel watched us. That stalking bloodsucker probably had never seen anyone as special as my girl before.

At around ten o'clock, in the middle of an interesting—albeit disgusting—debate on how delicious blood really was, Nessie faltered, her musical voice slurring until she spoke no more.

"Nessie?" I said, alarmed. She was slumped over in a fetal position on the couch. Then I noticed her soft, even breaths and relaxed expression. She'd talked herself to sleep. I laughed aloud and she shifted. That was so, undeniably Nessie.

"I guess you bored her to sleep," Nahuel said, probably trying to make friendly conversation. I didn't take it like that. I guess I felt possessive of Nessie because I shrugged, leaving him with no open response.

Catching sight of her daughter, Bella drifted into the room, her golden eyes sparkling. She smiled softly. "Jacob, you've put her to sleep!"

I grinned and nodded, trying not to shoot a smirk at shook his head and leaned back in his seat. His eyes still never left Nessie.

"I'll take her to bed," Edward murmured. He'd been lounging on the chair next to the couch. I guessed he'd also been eavesdropping in on my thoughts. He cracked at smile at that.

_Privacy is supposed to be a gift, you know,_ I thought. _You know I'm not going to push her anymore. I just thought…_

He gave me a hard look and picked up Nessie. She moved in her sleep until she had molded right to his body. She'd used to do that as a baby, too, when I held her.

"That's long gone, now, isn't it?" Edward murmured. It sounded like there was an underlying threat to the comment, but I didn't get to ask as he had disappeared toward the cottage. I itched to follow after him and be with Renesmee, but I couldn't bring myself to.

So now it was just Bella, Nahuel, and I. I focused all of my attention on Bella.

"Well, it's nice that everything's back to normal," I said.

"Most of us can agree to that," she replied carefully. I knew that Rosalie and Edward would stand on the other side of the argument, however. They couldn't trust me anymore for advancing on Nessie like that.

"So… you proposed?" Nahuel joined in, a light accent marring his otherwise flawless English.

I couldn't ignore him without being rude, and even though that was exactly what I wanted to do, I pushed down my feelings enough to utter something respectable. "Yeah. But…" I stumbled foolishly. Was there anything else to say? I'd failed, and it had gotten all messed up. I'd overreacted, overlooked Nessie's true feelings.

"She didn't say yes." Nahuel's tone hardened in the slightest bit and for the first time ever, I realized what I had already known:

I had competition.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hooray for ridiculous POV's and terrible updates! Sorry about the long wait.  
This chapter is in third person. Because apparently I was feeling omniscient when I wrote this. Ah, well. Enjoy the angst!**

* * *

_Jealousy is bred in doubts. When those doubts change into certainties, then the passion either ceases or changes into absolute madness._ -Francois de La Rochefoucald

* * *

Jacob barely let Renesmee out of his sight the next day; from the moment she awoke, he was at her side, eyes huge with adoration. Though thoroughly annoyed, Edward hung back and allowed it. Out of respect for his daughter, he didn't want the entire family to turn on Jacob for being possessive. It would only hurt Renesmee more, and she was already irritated with her dad for intervening.

She barely spoke to him anymore, as is.

Finally, when Rosalie was at her breaking point with Jacob's constant attentiveness and even Renesmee was growing bored, the vampires managed to get him out of the house for the night.

"I'll be around," he promised, clasping his imprint's hand in his own. Nahuel and Edward exchanged gags.

"Bye, Jake," Nessie said, her voice light yet insistent. "See you tomorrow."

Jacob loped gracefully across the lawn before phasing, his thick russet fur soon lost in the shadows of the dense woods. The sun had just set, and pale pink rays barely managed to show through the constant layer of clouds. It gave the whole setting a vaguely purplish tinge.

"I'm going for a walk," Renesmee suddenly announced. "I need to clear my head." _And no, Dad, it's fine. I just want to clear my head._

Renesmee pretended like she was going to follow a well-worn path but soon strayed off course, her fingers brushing lightly against the thick foliage. A walk had been a good idea; for once, she wasn't caught up in anxiety. The butterflies in her stomach escaped one by one with each deep breath she pulled in.

The serenity was short lived, however; she got fifteen minutes of time to herself before Nahuel joined her.

"Hi," he said awkwardly, shifting his weight from foot to foot before deciding to lean up against a tree.

Renesmee smiled at him, and though the butterflies had returned she was glad to finally talk to him without Jacob's angry presence. "What's up? I haven't had much time to talk to you... Jake's a leech in training, huh?" But her voice was overflowing with cheerful affection.

"He is, isn't he?"

"…Do you like Jake?" Renesmee asked after a pause, knowing the answer before she received it.

"I can't say I like him. I tolerate him. He doesn't seem to like me." Nahuel thrust his hands into his pockets to conceal them as they balled into fists.

"I think he's jealous…"

Nahuel was confused. "Jealous?"

"Knowing him, he's very protective of me—like an older brother. He probably thinks you're going to take me away or something," Renesmee clarified, chuckling darkly. "He needs to lighten up sometimes. I'm not going anywhere. I couldn't leave him."

"Well, I wouldn't expect you to. You seem very comfortable here."

She shrugged. "But it can't last forever. We're going to have to move, someday. Somebody's bound to notice no one in our family ages." She smiled, but then that smiled faltered.

"What's wrong?" Nahuel asked immediately. Her need was his calling; like many before him, he was completely under her spell.

Renesmee bit her lip. "Well, we might not age, but the wolves will eventually. And then…"

"Jacob will age, too," he finished. She nodded, and her sigh was shaky.

"He's been my best friend since forever. Knowing he's gone will be hard." It sounded as if she'd thought over this before, but the tear that trickled down her cheek proved it was still hard.

Nahuel leaned in and brushed away the tear with a quick flick of a finger. "That won't be for a while though, will it?" he whispered. It was so easy to disregard his jealousy for her.

Renesmee looked up at him. He hovered near her, his expression anxious. There was something else, there, too, and it made her feel warm inside. His eyes, meeting her own gaze, burned with the sort of passion she sometimes saw in her father when he looked at Bella. She had the sudden urge to do something incredibly stupid, like kiss him.

But she stopped herself, knowing there could be serious consequences, and leaned up against a tree before sliding all the way down until she was sitting. She looked so tired, Nahuel thought. Soft violet circles underneath her eyes told the unspoken story of recent heartbreak.

A pink ray of fading sunlight fell across the tree, illuminating it and Renesmee herself. Nahuel was strangely drawn to it as if pulled by an invisible magnet, and he sat down next to her.

In the last hours of the day, Renesmee yawned and leaned her head against his shoulder, instantly asleep and feeling infinitely complete, more whole than she had in all her life.

* * *

Watching from the trees, a huge russet wolf turned and sprinted away, leaving a path of torn leaves and mauled trees in his wake. Fury guided his paws and blood surged through his veins.

He had one thing and one thing only on his mind: murder.

* * *

Bella froze from where she was re-reading Tennyson and looked up, her mouth hanging open and a gasp escaping from her full lips. Instantly, everyone else in the room panicked. Edward was at her side in milliseconds, and Alice's eyes grew distant as she searched the future rapidly - unsuccessfully.

"Oh, no… Jacob!"

"What is it, love?"

"Do you hear that?" Bella moaned. When they listened, it was clear: loud, lonely howls of distress tore through the empty night like a knife through velvet. With her enhanced hearing, she could also hear trees being ripped from their roots and tossed aside like playthings. "Where's Renesmee?"

"With Nahuel," Edward answered automatically. "I could hear her thoughts just a few minutes ago, but they must have walked farther away than I can listen. From what I've gathered in his thoughts, Nahuel wouldn't dream of allowing Renesmee to be in danger."

"Well, we've got to make sure everything's okay," Bella insisted. "What if something happened?"

Edward nodded grimly and opened his mouth to reply.

But Bella was gone, and he followed in an instant. Both had one thing on their minds: Renesmee. One near-death experience was enough for a lifetime, thank you very much.

They found their daughter propped up against a tree with Nahuel sitting tensely next to her - being smart enough to remove her head from his shoulder as soon as he heard them coming.

"Has Jacob been here?" Bella asked the instant she stopped.

"Yes and no… there was a very large wolf in those bushes a few minutes ago, spying on your daughter," Nahuel answered.

Bella groaned loudly. "Aw hell, that would be Jake, and the last thing we need right now..."

"I'm sorry I didn't pay any attention to him."

"You didn't do anything wrong. Jacob is extremely protective of Renesmee—he's probably just overreacting again," Edward said tensely. Worried. Jacob worked on a different wavelength, now - he had no idea what a jealous werewolf would do if his imprint betrayed him.

* * *

Further away, the large wolf that was Jacob Black sprinted toward La Push. His enormous paws propelled him forward almost as fast as a vampire could run. He was heartbroken. He knew what he'd seen. Nessie—his Nessie—was falling for the one person he desperately wished she wouldn't. But he _couldn't_ be angry with her.

No, it had to be Nahuel's fault. What right had he to come back here and take his imprint away? He _knew_ the special bond between Renesmee and Jacob, and so how did he have any justification for his actions?

A whine escaped the wolf's clenched jaw. Renesmee was falling into a trap. Deep in Jacob's gut, he knew that somehow that half-leech _must_ be manipulating her. Renesmee had a gift - why couldn't Nahuel? Maybe he was a mind-controller. Maybe he was poisoning her.

It didn't matter. He had to be stopped.

Just as it was six years before, when, ironically, Renesmee had been the enemy, he vowed to kill his rival. Nahuel, he decided, only had a few more days left on this earth.

* * *

"He's extremely angry. I can assume _that_ with background knowledge," Bella said later that night, running a hand through her thick mahogany hair. Renesmee was safely tucked in bed, blissfully unaware of the extent of Jacob's fury, albiet suspicious.

"Well that's just excellent," Rosalie hissed, shaking her head. "Now we'll have a psycho werewolf to deal with. Just when we were starting to get along."

"Shape-shifter," Bella corrected absently. Her mind was on other things—her daughter, for instance. Renesmee would be devastated. Bella knew her daughter well enough to know that Nessie would also be angry with them for not telling her right away, and mad at herself for going for a walk with Nahuel.

None of it was her fault, but of course Renesmee, like Bella, would take the blame. Though raised in completely different worlds - Bella having to take care of her mother and Renesmee being doted on incessently - the weight of the world always fell on their shoulders, no matter what the situation.

Bella looked out into the dark night. _Welcome to the game of love, baby._

* * *

Renesmee woke the next morning with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something didn't seem right - hadn't since last night.

"Hi," Bella said half-heartedly at breakfast, the smile on her lips not reaching her golden eyes. Wordlessly, Renesmee placed a hand on her mother's and asked what was the matter.

And Bella was forced to explain everything - how could she not?

Renesmee, for a few minutes, sat silently without moving. Her chocolate brown eyes stared at the oak table in agony. "So… Jake's mad at me for talking with Nahuel?" she said after the pause. Her voice was hollow, scared. _I've done it this time. I've gone and lost Jake for good. How can one person be so cruel?_

"Unfortunately," Bella murmured.

"I—I should have known! I've been breaking Jacob's heart since the day he proposed. He's imprinted, for God's sake! What if he _is_ right? What if I _am_ supposed to love him and to be with him? And now I've gone and ruined things again!" She continued on frantically before Bella put a restraining hand on her shoulder.

"No. Renesmee… I don't think there was ever any concrete obligation for you to be with Jacob, like he assumes. It's just what has always happened in the past, so it's what we were expecting. No one will think any less of you if you don't fall in love with Jacob."

"But I do love my Jacob," Renesmee protested quietly. "I do. I would do anything for him. But something about the idea of marriage… about going along with the whole soul mate idea… I want to fall in love _my _way."

"Mm," Bella murmured, gently massaging her daughter's tense shoulders. It was so like Renesmee to say something like that. She had always been independent and strong-willed; of course she would not want to go along with a stereotype.

"But—but I am prepared to marry him if it makes things better. I hate to see him in pain like this, especially when it's my fault."

"Renesmee! Never say that. You shouldn't ever sacrifice your own happiness for someone else's gain."

Nessie looked pained. "I wouldn't be unhappy, Mom. Besides, isn't that a little hypocritical? I mean, when you were dying to save me—"

"Oh, shh!" Bella put a finger on her daughter's lips and silenced her. "That was different. I knew exactly what I was getting into. I was doing it _'my way'._"

Renesmee raised an eyebrow but didn't press her mother on the subject.

"Now why don't we go to the big house? Your dad's been there for most of the night, talking with Carlisle and watching out for Jacob."

"And Nahuel?" Nessie asked in the smallest of voices.

Bella stroked her daughter's hair. "Nahuel's there, too. Nessie…"

"Yeah?" her daughter replied miserably.

"You should probably talk to him. About—you know… last night?" Bella looked as awkward as she felt. How was she supposed to comfortably tell her daughter to get a handle on her relationships? But Renesmee understood, and together, mother and daughter left the tiny cottage.

As soon as he spotted his wife and daughter hurtle themselves over the river, Edward was upon them. "Nessie, I'm sorry we didn't tell you first—"

"Dad… I'm fine. It's f—"

"Don't tell me it's fine, Renesmee; I've read your thoughts. I know you're hurting." His daughter looked away, pain flaring in her chocolate eyes. Edward turned her face toward his again with a gentle finger. "You know what would have happened, though. You would have gone after him. He's beyond furious, Ness; we can't put you in any kind of danger."

"I'm not that fragile," she protested. "I can fix it." _I don't need your intervention_.

"Nessie, Jacob's been hurt many times. I think he just needs to realize the truth. You just don't love him that way."

Bella nodded in agreement. "I know it sucks," she said quietly. "I hurt Jake pretty badly, too, and I desperately wish he could find someone—the right girl to make him happy."

"Mom, it's me. He's imprinted; he can't love anyone else. And it's my fault he's all screwed up. I have to make things right. He's _mine."_

Edward put an arm around his daughter's shoulders and brushed back a strand of stray hair. "Just please, Renesmee," he pleaded, "don't do anything that will make you miserable. I couldn't live with seeing you go through with your life that way."

"I won't, Dad," Nessie promised, and stepped into the big white mansion. The words rang hollowly in her ears.


End file.
